A Message From Save Our Streets Co-Founders

As so many attempt to get a break and enjoy a summer slowdown, the crime and violence and community disruptions we are all so concerned about continue. In some instances, in some regions, we have seen an escalation of problems, while in others, there’s been some indication of improvement, but only time will tell. The bottom line is that the problems are far from solved and far too many people are suffering as a result. In too many communities, families continue to be nervous about safety in their own neighbourhoods. Because of safety issues, businesses have trouble retaining not only their customer base but also their employees.  That doesn’t even consider the dramatic cost increases resulting from theft, damages and additional security costs, which result in increased costs to consumers. Some businesses have been forced to close and that results in lost jobs, lost services and lost revenue to government.

Much of the public narrative driven by media coverage and social media has rightfully focused on those among us suffering from addiction and mental illnesses, the crimes they commit to support their illness, and the criminals who prey upon the sick. Unacceptable doesn’t begin to describe that situation. Of course, there is a significant array of crimes that is impacting our communities that are not illness-related and we cannot lose sight of the need to address them as well.

The SOS Save Our Streets coalition has grown to over 100 organizations because of a shared recognition that as a larger community we have not been successful in addressing these problems and we are now in crisis. These organizations represent community groups and businesses from every region of our province. SOS and its community partners must drive change. Well-meaning government officials at all levels must stop pointing the finger at other levels of government and get to the table together to identify and implement solutions. There are solutions but there must be the political will to make the investments and policy changes necessary to bring them to fruition. We believe establishing that political will means not only highlighting the problems but helping governments assess the human and financial costs of not rectifying them and, equally important, supporting government in making the necessary investments and changes.

We hope this newsletter will not only inform you on what SOS is doing but encourage you to be involved in our efforts to drive important change.

Clint Mahlman
President & COO, London Drugs
Co-founder & Chair, Save Our Streets

Jess Ketchum
President, Ketchum Communications
Co-founder, Save Our Streets

SOS Announces “Communities Driving Change” Forum

A week before the official commencement of the 2024 BC provincial election and four days before the annual Union of BC Municipalities conference, SOS is staging a day-long forum to explore solutions to the crime and violence being experienced throughout B.C.

While the forum is being held at the Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver, it will be digitally streamed province-wide and beyond. Seating is limited to approximately 150 and will initially be limited to representatives of SOS coalition members, invited subject matter experts, government officials and media.

The forum will consist of several panels addressing such topics as judicial reform, policing reform, addiction and mental illness responses, and the role of housing.

As a non-partisan organization, SOS is also inviting the leaders of B.C.’s four major parties to share their ideas and listen to others on how as a province we can best proceed in securing a safer, healthier future for our communities.

The time is now for British Columbians to re-evaluate where we are on these critical issues, set aside our political differences and take an evidence-based approach to finding solutions.  The “Communities Driving Change” Forum will be an important step in that process.

More information will be shared soon on how you can participate either in-person or virtually. We hope you can join us.

In this segment of our newsletter, we will link to recent news articles we believe represent the circumstances we are attempting to influence, as well as media coverage of SOS.  From time to time we will provide comments updates and context to stories.

Recent media coverage includes:

From time to time, we will invite members of the SOS Save Our Streets coalition and others to submit an editorial informing us of circumstances being experienced in their communities. Some will speak to the seriousness of the issues, while others will speak to what has worked to provide relief. In today’s newsletter, we begin with two editorials that provide a province-wide perspective on retail crime and a local perspective from Nelson.

Tanya Finley
Owner of Finley’s Bar and Grill and Sage (Nelson, B.C.) and Chair, Nelson Police Foundation

BC is at its Tipping Point and something must change

I want to take you on a journey that has tested my strength like nothing I have ever experienced in my life.

Picture my boys, Michael in Grade 2 and Benny in Kindergarten.  Their whole living memory has been of Covid and the opioid crisis. They are now 12 and 10.

During Covid, they kept finding needles and drug paraphernalia outside of our family businesses, Finley’s Bar & Grill and Sage.

Tony Hunt
General Manager Loss Prevention, London Drugs

Retailers and Police Unite to Combat Organized Retail Crime

Businesses are grappling with rising costs due to increasing crime. In retail, organized retail crime (ORC) and illicit markets are driving large increases in retail shrink. Abuse and violence against employees have surged to alarming levels.

In this segment of our newsletter, it is our intent to highlight research and government and non-government reports by linking you to them unedited and in their entirety. We will also provide you with our thoughts in the hope of providing some important context.

Premiers demand bail reform …feds toss it back!

Ducking responsibility or passing the buck? Regardless, this is unacceptable. Thirteen Premiers ask the federal government to remedy our out-of-step bail system and the response from the feds is “step up and enforce the law.”  That is not serving the public interest. We continue to see day after day more examples of criminals committing serious crimes and even murder when they should be incarcerated, still!

Coroner Stats offers glimmer of hope

According to the B.C. Coroner Service, the number of people who lost their lives to unregulated drug deaths in the first four months of 2024 was less than in the first four months of the three previous years. However, the 182 lives lost in April alone still equates to 6.1 deaths per day. These deaths are tragic and impact many people, families and communities.

SOS supports policies and programs that save lives. However, the crime and violence impacting our neighbourhoods do not align with drug deaths. Many of those who are living with addiction and mental illnesses are involved in crimes to support their habits and an extensive criminal element prey upon them. It is only by addressing the issues of addictions and mental illnesses that this category of crime will be curtailed.  Stopping people from dying from unregulated drugs is the right thing to do but that doesn’t necessarily stop crime.

Province Announces Expanded Access to Addictions Care

The B.C. government has announced they are “expanding access to seamless addictions care for people across B.C.”  Any action to expand programming to help people in recovery has to be viewed as positive, and initiatives to making access to those programs “seamless” are welcome. The Road to Recovery is an initiative that was given birth at St. Paul’s Hospital with an exceptionally generous $20 million contribution from the Gordon and Leslie Diamond family foundation. That has been followed by further philanthropy, including a $9 million gift from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation. The program is housed at St. Paul’s and the province announced the intention to expand upon the concept. SOS welcomes that intention but how can British Columbians decide whether the intended changes are adequate if the government doesn’t provide information on the demand that needs to be met. How many potential patients are there in B.C. that would benefit from these programs and possibly return to their families, their communities, their jobs and a life with purpose?  Where are they to be in B.C. so we can see if the demand is to be met where it is needed?  How does the current capacity align with that demand and how will the announced enhancements assist in meeting the demand not only where it is needed, but when?