A newly-released, large-scale survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) highlights what all too many business owners and residents already know – that crime levels are too high and that related costs have risen to wholly unacceptable levels.
At the same time, many residents in communities large and small believe elected officials and police need to do more to address the problems.
The Broken Windows & Broken Trust: The Impacts of Rising Crime on Small Business survey found that nearly two-thirds of Canadian small businesses have reported an increase in crime in their communities over the past year, with almost 30 per cent saying there has been a ‘significant’ increase.
Equally troubling is the fact that a ‘significant majority’ of business owners say they are dissatisfied with the way governments have been handling crime and safety issues, and that nearly 80 per cent believe governments are ‘not effectively collaborating' to address crime and safety concerns.
The survival and success of independent businesses, including small companies in this region, is absolutely vital to the well-being of the community-at-large.
As such, those same businesses should be able to rely on governments and police to go after criminals wherever and whenever they appear.
“Small business owners are worried about their personal safety and that of their employees and customers,” the CFIB said. “Many have suffered significant financial losses due to theft, amounting to thousands of dollars.
“However, they report that law enforcement frequently deems these incidents too minor to act upon, leading to a decline in trust in local agencies. Small business owners are calling for meaningful change.”
With the Smith and Trudeau governments continuing to wage war against each on a day-to-day basis, the safety and security of small businesses appears, according to this latest CFIB survey, to be falling by the wayside.
Hopefully, these latest and troubling findings will prompt the ‘meaningful change’ businesses across Alberta and Canada are rightly calling for.
Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan.
