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By Dylana Kneeshaw

PUBLIC SAFETY

Business Improvement Associations calling for multi-government actions on street crime, social issues

Sep 12, 2022 | 5:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — More than 70 business associations in the province are ramping up calls for action to address street issues and crime. This week, members of Business Improvement Areas of BC (BIA BC) have penned a letter to all levels of government — civic, provincial, and federal.

According to the letter, at the city level, associations want to see hands-on community initiatives and bylaw enforcement. Provincially, they’re pushing for elevated mental health and addictions treatment, and legislation to deal with repeat offenders. And federally — funding is a top priority.

(To read the full letter, click here)

“We’ve been advocating for changes to the criminal, mental health and prosecutorial service for the last number of years,” says North Shore Business Improvement Association Executive Director Jeremy Heighton.

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No matter where you are in B.C. lately, it’s hard to find a community or business area that hasn’t been vocal about its social and criminal issues. The frustration isn’t new but, according to Downtown Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association Executive Director Howie Reimer, it’s growing.

“When they’re paying their taxes, and they feel like they’re not getting the service or the safety or the protection as a member of these business associations — as far as they’re concerned — they’re very frustrated,” Reimer explains.

According to the groups who signed on to the call, municipalities do bear a certain level of responsibility. The main actions asked for include approving funding for local policing resources and advocating for service changes.

“At the provincial level we need changes to the Mental Health Act, we need changes to the Criminal Code, and we also need changes to the healing process — to the community health processes, the housing and the wraparound services for all of these people,” says Heighton. “And at the federal level, we need the federal government to actually kick in the money with caveats — in our opinion — that this is how we want to see these things funded.”

In the past, business improvement associations have largely worked on events, marketing and dealt with smaller ticket items like parking issues. In recent years, Heighton notes that they’ve shifted into a higher level of advocacy for crime reduction and community safety.

“Because we know that community safety is the cornerstone, not just of business operations and success, but community as a whole.”

Reimer adds that the letter also represents a collective push from the organizations to take a bipartisan approach.

“It’s just moved very slowly,” he says when asked why it’s taken so long to have these changes put into place. “But I think now we’re starting to see it congeal. We’re starting to see people coming together and they’re coming up with some solutions. Rather than saying, ‘We need solutions,’ actually coming up with them.”

Both Reimer and Heighton says the business improvement groups are aware that the crime and social issues cannot be resolved in a single day. However they are hoping to get past the discussion stage and see action taken.