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(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

Criminality and social disruptions in Kamloops continue to cost businesses time and money as they struggled to deal with trespassing, vandalism, theft and public defecation.

The Kamloops North Shore Business Improvement Association, Downtown Kamloops and the Kamloops and District Chamber of Commerce released the findings of a collaborative 2023 Impact Survey today, Nov. 15.

“Our aim is to work together to address the concerns of Kamloops businesses and compile citywide data on pressing business issues, with a focus on the impacts of criminality and social disruptions,” read the compiled Impacts to Business report.

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Out of the 129 survey respondents, the majority of businesses are located downtown and in North Kamloops, although there was an increase in respondents from other areas of the city this year including Aberdeen and Valleyview. The top five business type response categories include retail, professional services, arts and culture, restaurants and health services.

“Responses indicate a significant year-over-year increase in the impact on business operations, staff and customers,” the report said. “Psychological impacts also affect consumer confidence in core business areas.”

The top issues reported included littering, loitering, open drug use, needles and hazardous waste, vandalism and public defecation, the report said, and the total cost of these impacts for the year amounted to $752,746.59.

Just over 84% of businesses reported making changes to operations to prevent crime and manage social issues. These included adding security cameras, locks, lighting and fencing and training staff.

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The total cost for crime prevention strategies increased over the past year surpassing $1.5 million for the businesses surveyed.

Data from the study showed more business owners contact the RCMP than the city's bylaw officers, now called community service officers, because police have some authority to act.

They also expressed frustration from a lack of follow-up and investigation. Most respondents don’t call bylaw anymore because the service has a “slow or delayed response” and a “lack of action or follow up.”

Both the bylaw and RCMP received negative impression scores with the police scoring slightly higher than last year.

“It’s evident that the legal limitations of these services contribute significantly to community frustration,” the report read. “It should be noted that seven respondents indicated that (community service officers) did a good job when responding.”

The groups behind the survey are meeting tonight to present their findings.

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