Crime on Victoria Street West continues to plague area businesses and the head of the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association is feeling their frustration.

Speaking on the NL Morning News, KCBIA Executive Director, Carl DeSantis, says crime in the area is hurting business and all stakeholders will have to put their heads together to come up with a permanent solution. “People are reluctant to go down there and support those businesses because of the incidents of crime and people that just happen to be in the area causing problems and again this something I know the RCMP, I know that the city and some of the social organizations are working to address.”

“If we took a collaborative approach we could ease the pain for some of these businesses because they’re hurting. So, on the heals all of the construction and then the pandemic and now the incidents of increased crime it’s just a terrible situation for them and I feel so bad.”

He stressed the importance of sticking together. “Going forward to address incidents of crime and things like that, absolutely this has to be a collaboration by everybody. Not the businesses alone, not the RCMP, bylaw. It has to be everybody on board.”

DeSantis says there’s no single silver bullet solution but he is confident groups are working together but admits there is frustration from all stakeholders including himself.