Neighbourhood business a target of repeated theft in Kamloops

Business owners in the North Shore and downtown core have been raising concerns about the thefts and damages committed to their shops and properties for some time, however, lately the problem appears to be spreading into areas further away from the main centres.

The familiar Parkcrest Neighbourhood Store in Brocklehurst was a target of theft a few days ago and it is not the first time items have been stolen in recent weeks. The store is a couple of kilometres away for the North Shore core in a residential area.

Co-owner Anju Sandhu said the family-owned convenience store has been operating for almost 15 years without incident, but in the past two months she has been repeatedly robbed. She feels helpless and frustrated.

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“Last week a man came in and shopped around,” she said. “I suspected he might steal because he kept his head down the whole time. I put his items in a bag and he used a card to pay but the payment was declined. When I addressed him about it he grabbed the bag and went out the door.”

Sandhu said the items in the bag were worth a total of $80, a cost she has to absorb. She feels unsafe confronting the perpetrators while they are stealing, typically grown men that are mentally unstable.

“Another guy came in here and stuffed his pants with items and left,” she said. “He is not somebody I would confront or want my staff to get involved with.”

Sandhu said she always calls 911 after a theft but claims she either can’t get through or police don’t bother to show up, and while she does have security cameras in the store, they are not enough.

“I don’t usually get a swift or helpful response by police,” she said. “We have camera footage but it is pretty hard to identify these people with it. They are covered up.”

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After two long years of dealing with pandemic related health and safety issues, the small business owner is now facing staffing shortages because of the increase in crime.

“I work up to 18 hours at a time now because I can’t find staff that feels safe working here, which is not a problem I’ve had to deal with before,” she said. “Of course I want to ensure my staff are safe, this is just another thing we need to deal with. It’s frustrating, we small businesses work so hard and then these things happen.”

The Parkcrest Neighbourhood Store has been in the area for 15 years.

“I realize these people on the street are coping with serious issues and I don’t judge that and wish they could get the help they need,” she said. “But it is disheartening to say the least when their activities hurt our small businesses and there doesn’t seem to be anything being done about it.”

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