David Screech doesn害羞草研究所檛 mince words when asked about street disorder and crime around his business in downtown Victoria.

He described vehicle break-ins, people defecating on or near his store property, and someone pulling a knife on an employee in the store害羞草研究所檚 parking lot.

Screech, a former mayor of the Victoria-area community of View Royal, has worked at Greggs Furniture & Upholstery since 1981 and has owned the business since 2000.

But the iconic store is slated to close later this year, and Screech said deteriorating safety around the business was 害羞草研究所渢he tipping point.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 think we would have hung in there for a little while longer if those issues hadn害羞草研究所檛 become so difficult in the last little while,害羞草研究所� Screech said.

害羞草研究所淥ne of the most frightening (things) is that we害羞草研究所檝e had in the last 18 months fires set at our back door four or five times. And it害羞草研究所檚 only just by some divine intervention that the whole building hasn害羞草研究所檛 gone up.害羞草研究所�

Business groups and others have raised concerns about crime and disorder ahead of the Oct. 19 provincial election, while police, including Vancouver Chief Const. Adam Palmer, have decried what he called a 害羞草研究所渞evolving door害羞草研究所� justice system for repeat and violent offenders.

The conversation has been punctuated by a series of violent events over the past year or so in B.C.

They include a triple stabbing at a street festival in Vancouver害羞草研究所檚 Chinatown, a swarming attack on paramedics in Victoria, and stabbings near the White Rock pier. On Sept. 4, one man was killed and another害羞草研究所檚 hand was cut off in a pair of gruesome attacks in downtown Vancouver 害羞草研究所� police say the suspect was on probation at the time and has had 60 previous interactions with officers.

How to improve public safety was one of 10 questions posed by a coalition of B.C. business groups to party leaders on Sept. 10, saying the violent crime rate had increased 害羞草研究所渂y 30 per cent since 2018害羞草研究所� with many businesses reporting higher levels of concern around employee and customer safety.

害羞草研究所淟ast week害羞草研究所檚 tragic situation highlighted where we are at and the need for all levels of government to come together,害羞草研究所� said Greater Vancouver Board of Trade president Bridgitte Anderson, referring to the Sept. 4 attacks at a news conference announcing the group害羞草研究所檚 concerns.

害羞草研究所淪imply, what we害羞草研究所檙e doing right now doesn害羞草研究所檛 work,害羞草研究所� Anderson said.

Statistics Canada data show the overall per capita crime rate, based on police reports, is down in B.C. by about 3 per cent since 2018. The violent crime rate cited by business leaders is up by more than 32 per cent, having spiked sharply in 2019 and it has been mostly unchanged since then.

Vancouver and Victoria have both seen a 9 per cent rise in violent crime, per capita, since 2018.

Martin Andresen, professor at Simon Fraser University害羞草研究所檚 School of Criminology, said while many people 害羞草研究所� himself included 害羞草研究所� are seeing evidence of 害羞草研究所渋n-your-face害羞草研究所� public disorder, official statistics do not back up claims that crime and public disorder are worsening overall.

He noted that while there have been a number of high-profile crimes in B.C. in the past year, people should consider how these incidents are portrayed in the media and public discourse, and also look at hard numbers.

害羞草研究所淚 see it myself when I walk down the street,害羞草研究所� Andresen said. 害羞草研究所淭here are a lot more people out. 害羞草研究所� We seem to have a lot of people who are desperate, and there害羞草研究所檚 more panhandling everywhere I go. Violence appears to be, at least, a lot more in-your-face.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not out of control,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淐an it go down? Of course it can. We害羞草研究所檙e still having these events, and they are negative events.害羞草研究所�

Andresen said the Statistics Canada data shows most crimes in B.C. cities are down.

Notable categories where crime rates are up include uttering threats, property crimes, such as theft under $5,000, shoplifting, and mischief. But Andresen said rates of most other crime were 害羞草研究所渄own or relatively steady.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淏ased on the data, in some cases, yes, there are things on the increase,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎lso, maybe just the nature of some of these crimes have become more in-our-face than ever before.害羞草研究所�

Downtown Victoria Business Association CEO Jeff Bray said he had heard the argument that statistics do not back up claims of rising crime and disorder in B.C., but that didn害羞草研究所檛 not mean it wasn害羞草研究所檛 happening.

害羞草研究所淧art of it is businesses just don害羞草研究所檛 bother reporting,害羞草研究所� said Bray, a former BC Liberal MLA who害羞草研究所檚 also president of the Business Improvement Areas of B.C.

Bray said he has heard from downtown businesses across B.C. that disorder was increasing in many communities outside the major centres of Vancouver and Victoria.

害羞草研究所淎s a society, we害羞草研究所檝e kind of accepted some behaviours now that we would never have accepted 10 years ago,害羞草研究所� Bray said. 害羞草研究所淎s a result, we害羞草研究所檙e seeing behaviours get more aggressive, we害羞草研究所檙e seeing people become more brazen, and we害羞草研究所檙e seeing less of a response to these things.害羞草研究所�

A recent survey conducted his group showed that 82 per cent of the roughly 500 business owners and operators asked 害羞草研究所渉ave increased fear and anxiety害羞草研究所� due to crime and disorder in their neighbourhoods.

Both Bray and Screech said the situation around B.C.害羞草研究所檚 downtowns has deteriorated so severely that there was pressure for drastic steps.

害羞草研究所淭here are people in our community who are incapable of functioning without being a harm to themselves or others,害羞草研究所� Bray said. 害羞草研究所淎nd so, involuntary care has to be, I think, part of the policy mix.

害羞草研究所淲e have people now with permanent brain injuries as a result of the toxic drug supply, 害羞草研究所� and all we害羞草研究所檙e offering right now is low-barrier supportive housing 害羞草研究所� where they continue to be able to use drugs, to be exploited by the criminal element. These things are not working.害羞草研究所�

Before the election began, BC NDP Leader David Eby pledged his government would open facilities to provide involuntary care, specifically for those suffering from a combination of severe addictions, mental illness and brain injuries.

Crime and public safety have also been one of the B.C. Conservatives talking points, promising to increase funding to police, applying 害羞草研究所渮ero tolerance害羞草研究所� for violent repeat offenders and appointing judges that prioritize victims害羞草研究所� rights.

Andresen said such tough measures or boosting police resources are unlikely to yield results.

He said solutions need to be based on the opinions of health experts. Housing and support programs are the first key steps, Andresen said.

害羞草研究所淟ocking up people for longer isn害羞草研究所檛 going to solve the problem,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲hat害羞草研究所檚 being described in a lot of these policies is criminalizing poverty, criminalizing marginalized populations. And that害羞草研究所檚 not the solution to our problem.害羞草研究所�

Screech disagreed.

害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 a bipartisan issue, and I think what we害羞草研究所檝e done in trying to be a caring, empathetic society and government, we害羞草研究所檝e crossed the line 害羞草研究所� into facilitating a lifestyle. And I think all the parties have to look at that with a clear lens,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淲e want to offer treatment and we want to help people, but we don害羞草研究所檛 want to facilitate a lifestyle that nobody is prepared to change.害羞草研究所�