Businesses in the St. Stephen area have been dealing with a rise in theft and vandalism in recent months.
Now, the St. Stephen Area Chamber of Commerce is getting involved to try and find solutions.
The executive and directors held an emergency meeting on Monday amid concerns from its members.
Jason Rideout, president of the chamber, said one-in-five members have shared issues and concerns with them.
“They weren’t just small concerns. They all cycled around theft and vandalism,” Rideout said in an interview.
“But the one that struck us the most is safety. Fear of working within their business, having their staff there.”
Rideout said some businesses have been forced to make significant changes in an effort to avoid these issues.
They include hiring security, installing security cameras, locking their doors during business hours, and changing their hours of operation entirely.
As many businesses still struggle to deal with the impacts of the pandemic, Rideout said this is the last thing they need.
“What we don’t want is to see our local businesses end up closing or moving, things like that,” he said.
Rideout said the situation appears to have escalated over the last six months or so, but they have not yet pinpointed the reason behind it.
What they do know, he said, is they want to try and find solutions to minimize theft and vandalism, and return a sense of safety to the community.
“We know it’s not an overnight solution but we feel there’s some quick solutions,” said Rideout.
The Chamber has meetings scheduled with town officials and the RCMP to bring forward the concerns of its members.
Rideout said he hopes by working together, short-term and long-term solutions can be found to deal with the rising crime.
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