Kelowna RCMP breaks silence amid growing crime and safety concerns among business owners

Despite data saying otherwise, Kelowna, B.C. business owners say break and enters, thefts and property crime are through the roof.

As businesses in Kelowna, B.C.’s downtown core reach their breaking point, the RCMP is breaking its silence on mounting crime concerns.

“I acknowledge it has taken a few days for us to speak publicly. That delay was intentional,” said Kelowna RCMP Supt. Chris Goebel.

“When public safety and public confidence are at stake, it’s important that we speak based on complete and accurate information.”

Goebel made the comments at a news conference at the RCMP detachment on Tuesday in the wake of a growing number of business owners coming forward and highlighting the escalating challenges they are dealing with.

Despite data saying otherwise, business owners say break and enters, thefts and property crime are through the roof and that they fear their safety, and that of their staff and customers, is compromised.

“Police statistics are based on reported crimes,” Goebel said. “What we can say clearly is this: reported break and enters are down compared to the same period last year, at the same time social disorder is up and that distinction matters.”

Goebel acknowledged that safety is not based on data.

“People don’t experience safety as a statistic,” Goebel said. “They experience it as broken windows, fires, repeated disrupted behaviour and a growing sense that unacceptable conduct is being normalized.”