Impacts Reports
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
**Kamloops Business Associations Release 2024 Impacts Survey: Urgent Call for Action on Crime and Social Disruption**
Kamloops, B.C., [24/09/2024] — The Kamloops North Shore Business Improvement Area Association, Downtown Kamloops, and the Kamloops and District Chamber of Commerce are pleased to release the findings of the 2024 Impacts Survey. This collaborative effort highlights the significant challenges local businesses face due to rising crime and social disruptions and calls for immediate government intervention.
The survey, which analyzed responses from over 200 businesses across Kamloops, provides valuable insights into the business environment. The findings reflect increasing concerns about crime, financial losses, and the effectiveness of response services in addressing these issues.
**Key Findings from the 2024 Impacts Survey:**
– **Increased Business Participation:** 201 businesses participated in the survey, with the highest responses from areas experiencing elevated crime rates, including Downtown and North Kamloops. Businesses from a wide range of sectors, including Retail, Health Services, Professional Services, Restaurants, and Arts & Culture, were represented.
– **Rising Crime and Its Impacts:** For the third consecutive year, crime and social disruption have severely impacted consumer confidence and business operations. The top reported issues year over year including littering, open drug use, vandalism, and public defecation, remained unchanged. A new category—Fear/Stress—emerged as a top concern, ranking fifth in its impact on business owners and staff.
– **Financial Losses Skyrocket:** Businesses reported nearly $1 million in financial losses due to crime in 2024, up from $752,000 in 2023.
– **Business Response and Prevention Costs:** Despite a slight reduction in operational changes compared to previous years, 71% of businesses reported implementing new security measures in 2024. Total spending on crime prevention strategies reached $946,360.
– **Concerns Over Response Services:** Business owners expressed continued dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of response agencies, citing legal limitations and slow response times as major barriers. Questionable prosecution (65%), lack of issue resolution (59%), and delayed responses (51%) were identified as the top reasons for dissatisfaction.
**A Call for Immediate Government Action**
The survey findings underscore the urgent need for government intervention. Businesses are reaching a breaking point, with many owners considering relocating or closing due to the lack of support in managing the growing crisis.
The report calls for a comprehensive government response, including:
- A four-pillar approach to healthcare,
- Mental health reforms at all levels of government,
- Criminal justice reforms, including changes to bail provisions.
“Our local businesses are the backbone of the Kamloops economy, and they need real solutions to the crime and social disruption that threaten their livelihoods,” said Jeremy Heighton, Executive Director of the Kamloops North Shore Business Improvement Area Association. “This report clearly shows that immediate action is needed to protect not only the business community but also the safety and well-being of all Kamloops residents.”
Survey Results
Data Report –
Data report – Impacts 2024 Survey
Data report – Impacts 2023 Survey-FINAL
Flat Sheet