Downtown Calgary businesses growing concerned about safety and crime

Some businesses in downtown Calgary are concerned about safety and crime in the city, saying drug use and theft have become worse since the pandemic.

Businesses like Circle K on 11 Avenue SW have stepped up security measures to combat crime, resorting to serving customers by window service at night.

Patrons will line up outside the stores met with signs that read ‘Please ring the bell’ and ‘Window service available’ as they wait to order items.

Several blocks away on Stephen Avenue, businesses are also growing concerned, saying drug use and theft has grown worse since the pandemic

“It’s no good when you are trying to run a business and have a successful establishment and these people are just littering, loitering, running our things wrecking our stuff,” said Danielle Wilkins, the owner of The Wednesday Room.

Another business owner says crime on Stephen Avenue has become so bad, that it is driving away tourists and customers.

“Our whole businesses is dependent on tourism and if this continues we are going to lose our businesses and I don’t know how we are going to survive in later years,” said Amin Badani, the owner of the Calgary Souvenir Shop.

“It’s getting crazy day by day.”

Ward 7 Councilor Terry Wong tells CityNews there are several organizations and housing agencies the city is working with to help get people off the streets.

“One of the root problems of trauma is homelessness and we want to be able to provide the right sources to them,” he said.

Mark Garner the executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association says they have been working with the city, bringing over 20 recommendations on how to improve safety in the community.

“We have set up a downtown outreach team with Alpha House, we work directly with (the Calgary Police Department), but we are not seeing some of the net gains we anticipated,” he said.

“It takes time, but we are still going to try new solutions and address the issues our members and businesses are experiencing on a day-to-day basis.”