Crime is a growing concern for many small businesses in Alberta with almost half (43 per cent) of those surveyed reporting they have been directly or indirectly impacted.
According to the new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), the top criminal concerns are shoplifting, loitering, vandalism, break and entering as well as littering.
But one Calgary business owner told Global News he’s more concerned about violent crime, after he was recently robbed at knifepoint.
Irfan Bhutta said he was working at his vape shop, A.N. Vapes and Bongs, the morning of Oct. 6, when three men burst into his store.
“They brought big knives with them,” Bhutta recalled. “Like two knives and one hammer.”
“They just tied my hands — both hands. Just, ‘Sit there and don’t move or else I’ll stab you.'”
The masked thieves then took all his cash and the stock on his shelves.
Bhutta said the criminals made off with “between $20,000 to $25,000.
“I was so scared. I said, ‘OK, take whatever you like.’”
While that was bad enough, the store owner, who had just opened up a few days before, said they also took his family’s sense of safety.
“We are still struggling,” he said. “Now my family doesn’t want to come to Calgary from Lethbridge because they’re worried about crime.
The shop has now upped its security, adding more cameras, especially pointing to blind spots, and even installed a magnetic, remote-operated front door. On that door are also signs advising no one will be allowed in if they’re wearing a mask or hoodie.
Across the way, neighbouring business Nim’s Chicken is also concerned — for good reason.
“This place, our own place, got broken into like three times before we bought this place,” owner Nimrat Kaur told Global News. “So we were super insecure when we moved here.”
That insecurity has since grown since the vape shop’s armed robbery.
She has also now increased her surveillance camera capabilities, as well as instructed her staff on what to do.
“We sent an email to employees (saying) if anything like this happens, run for your safety. Go to the back door,” she said.
“Be protective of yourself — not the premises.”
“They (business owners) should be worried about their business. These things just cause extra pressure and it’s hard for us to sleep at night.”
CFIB report and recommendations
The CFIB agreed, adding many small businesses don’t know what to do and shouldn’t be expected to in some cases.
“Business owners, while they are flexible and adaptable, they aren’t emergency responders,” Keyli Loeppky, director of interprovincial affairs at CFIB said.
“They aren’t social workers. They aren’t security officers. But they’ve had to be in the last little while.”
The CFIB report also found 73 per cent of those surveyed are also worried about the safety of their customers and employees, adding that it’s bad for business.
Some small businesses reported already having implemented measures to better protect everyone, including spending more money on security, adjusting operations, and providing additional safety training for staff. Others reported having to pay more to attract and retain employees, further contributing to labour shortage challenges.
Bhutta said that was recently the case for him when he tried to hire someone.
“We just tried to hire one employee and he just heard about the robbery and he just ran away,” Bhutta said.
Loeppky suggested governments should step forward with more funding supports to help.
Bhutta said that would be appreciated as he waits for word from his insurance company.