2 Victoria businesses call on city to pay for private security amid concerns of increased crime
Ryan Burghardt owns Budget Break and Muffler on Douglas Street in downtown Victoria. He says a drastic increase in crime is hurting his business.
"Random kicking (of) vehicles, breaking mirrors," said Brughardt. "Unfortunately, on a couple of older vehicles last week, we had two stolen within 24 hours."
He says crime in his Bay Street neighbourhood has exploded over the last two months. He says the people committing these crimes are repeat offenders that he has caught on camera before.
"(It's) catch and release," said Brughardt. "The one guy who stole one of the vehicles was in jail two days before stealing a converter."
Just down the street at Ina Motors, the car dealership has had four catalytic converters stolen from cars on its lot over the last 45 days.
"This costs us roughly $2,000 a vehicle," said Masood Abdul, general sales manager for Ina Motors.
Overall vandalism to vehicles has also gone up, he says, and is more than his operation can absorb.
"Right now, it’s really terrible," said Victoria Police Chief Del Manak.
The chief agrees, crime is on the rise and his officers are feeling it on the street, he says.
He says part of the problem is how quickly police are forced to release people from custody and that all stems from federal legislation under Bill C-75, which came into effect in 2019.
"Essentially, for anyone to be kept in custody generally now, the crime has to be quite egregious," said Manak. "It has to be somebody's life that has been threatened. It has to be crimes against a person."
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps has written a letter to B.C. Attorney General David Eby about the justice system.
The letter says this policy of "catch and release" is not working and asks if there is a way to hold an accused until it’s better determined if that individual is a threat to reoffend.
The attorney general says no, and says his government is taking a different approach.
"We have an initiative called 'complex care' to recognize that the courts and the prisons are not going to be taking people in the same way they did previously," said Eby. "(The province is looking) to make sure people are stable in housing with increased mental health and addictions supports.”
Meanwhile, back on Douglas Street, both Ina Motors and Budget Break and Muffler are calling on the city to help pay for private security.
"We think the city should pay for that," said Burghardt. "We didn’t cause this problem, we’re paying property taxes on few buildings between us all and it’s nightly."
Victoria city councillor Marianne Alto told CTV News on Wednesday that she recognizes there is a problem and is working with partners to come up with solutions. Part of that solution could be to hire private security for the area.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.