Seattle has the space needle, Lethbridge has the meth needle says a local downtown Lethbridge business owner.
In the past couple of years, the drug crisis has been negatively affecting downtown Lethbridge businesses making it hard for companies to survive.
Downtown Lethbridge shops and services have seen a 32 per cent decrease in sales and also coffee shops in the downtown area have seen a 25 per cent decrease in sales 2018 when compared with the same period in 2017, according to the Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ).
Kent Just, owner of Meadow Lane Gifts and Collectibles, said he disagrees with people giving out free needles around Lethbridge since people can find the needles in public places.
“Seattle has the space needle, Lethbridge has the meth needle. We are finding them everywhere in residential areas, commercial areas, kid parks, pools, wherever. We are still finding them.”
Just doesn’t like how drug users are coming into his store high and how they get away with stealing merchandise from stores.
“I get them coming into my store tweaking. They’re allowed to steal from me because they don’t get charged when they go to court. Then they go back to ARCHES and get a free use of whatever they do and a free bag of needles.”
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Something that has increased during this drug crisis is shoplifting.
Monique Rombaldi, owner of Monique’s En’ 4th Fashions, has put in a buzzer for customers to ring.
The buzzer was put in place because Rombaldi kept having to deal with disruptive customers, shoplifters and thought enough was enough.
She was dealing with a woman this summer who said she was just shopping for a gift but Rombaldi saw her piling clothes on her arm and when she confronted her for the third time, the woman ran for the door.
This woman didn’t make it far and she ended up on her knees on the sidewalk and Rombaldi warned her if she comes into the store again, she will call the cops.
From that day forward, she locked the doors and waited three and a half months for the buzzer to come in and be installed.
Long-time owner of Monique’s En’ 4th Fashions believes business owners have to move on from the situation and find a solution for the business itself to increase sales and decrease shoplifting like put a buzzer at the entrance of the store.
“Ted Stilson, from the BRZ told me the other day I know closing down the consumption site is a wish but it isn’t going to happen.”
Rombaldi’s advice for other downtown businesses is to make do with the situation and accept what’s going on.
According to Ted Stilson, executive director of the BRZ, addicts are looking for money which is why shoplifting has increased in the downtown core.
However, according to Stilson, addicts are looking for other ways to fund their habits other than shoplifting.
“There is an increase in panhandling in the downtown core. There is an increase in theft crime, break ins and loitering. These things all follow from individuals who are addicted wanting to fund their habit.”
According to Stilson they are picking up less needles and ARCHES is giving out less needles which is an agreement the BRZ has with ARCHES
But other solutions to the crisis is getting the city to increase funding in more protection, security and patrols in the downtown core to keep an eye out on the downtown businesses.
The BRZ will be making a presentation to the police commission on Oct. 31 and it will be asking for an increased presence in security and policing in the downtown core.
