The owner of Movie Mart says he doesn’t think there’s a further public risk after stick-ups at three downtown businesses.

City councillor Denis Walsh owns the store on St. Paul Street which was robbed twice in eight days earlier this month.

Speaking on the NL Morning Show, Walsh says the incidents were crimes of opportunity.

“They’re there just to get the money in the till and leave. So there’s no threat to my employees althought it’s unsettling because now they’re all looking behind their back now whenever the doors opens until there’s an arrest,” Walsh says.

“Credit to the city, we’ve never a robbery for 36 years and then all of a sudden we have these two and I think it’s in a cycle right now. There’s people coming into the town and I think that’s the problem, it’s because we’re a hub. It seems to be the people who aren’t living here but people who come through the city and take advantage.”

Walsh adds he’s been talking with police since the robberies and says as a result he has made some protocol changes.

Downtown businesses were robbed three times in 10 days earlier this month, two occurring at Movie Mart and a third which took place at the Whispers Adult Superstore on Seymour Street. All were similar in the sense that the suspects were all males who had their face covered with a mask and were carrying a knife. In all three cases, the suspect fled after robbing the cash register.

Kamloops RCMP have not linked those crimes or found any suspects.