Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Dylana Kneeshaw

IMPACT SURVEY 2023

2023 Impact Survey results will help establish a data baseline for Kamloops business organizations

Nov 16, 2023 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — A new business impact survey was recently presented to the city’s leaders and business community, showing how criminality and social disruptions affect local businesses.

The survey was created by both the Downtown and North Shore Business Improvement Associations, as well as the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce. The findings will be used by those same organizations to advocate for improvements.

Most of the information out of the 2023 Impacts to Business Report didn’t come as a surprise to the local community. But according to NSBIA Executive Director Jeremy Heighton, part of why the survey was done was to establish a benchmark of questions to monitor future trends or changes.

“Then year over year, we can start to look at data sets and say, ‘Is this a trend? Is this a common impact we’re seeing year over year? If this trend exists and continues to exist, what are the solutions to addressing that particular set of issues?'”

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More than 125 locations around the Kamloops area responded to the survey, which showed the majority of businesses reporting crime have front entry, street-level storefronts.

“This year, we had 12 reports from Aberdeen, we had six reports from Valleyview, we had two reports from Tk’emlups, which we’ve never had before,” says Heighton. “Now the question is, is that indicating that these people are getting used to reporting, or is there an elevation of issues?”

An example of the data gathered from the 2023 Impact Survey. (Image courtesy: North Shore Business Improvement Association)

The feedback also reflects the crime reporting data that police have gathered. Kamloops RCMP Superintendent Jeff Pelley says there has been an uptick in commercial and business break-ins.

“For our current quarter which we’re presenting on, we’ve had slight increases to business break-and-enters. From roughly in the last quarter, 95 offenses up to 113. But again, we continue to focus on those offenders who commit multiple acts.”

Nearly 85 per cent of survey respondents also said they’ve updated their security protocols. Adding cameras and improving locks were the top two actions taken, which is something police also advise.

“There’s crime prevention through environmental design, appropriate facility access, cameras and identifiers,” explains Pelley. “Should they be subject to a crime, (these) will assist in not only the prevention, but an active investigation.”

Most of the data wasn’t groundbreaking new information for businesses who have been victims of crime over the past year. The hope is that setting a data gathering standard with this survey will encourage a better-informed response.

“RCMP, (Community Service Officers), the mayor and council, they’re all receptive,” says Heighton, “because the more information they have, the better decisions we can make as a community.”