Following a string of vandalism and theft-related crimes in the last few weeks, a number of businesses near 琉璃神社鈥檚 Landmark District are worried that the situation will only get worse.
Mike Hlushko, the owner and manager of Minit-Tune & Brake Auto Centres on Springfield Road, said that in his 20 years in 琉璃神社, the recent theft and vandalism in the area has been at an all-time high.
鈥淢y motorhome has probably been broken into three times this summer,鈥� said Hlushko.
鈥淭hat last one 鈥� we just camped the long weekend. We still had stuff in there, but they just ransacked the whole inside. It鈥檚 pretty hard on your personal life and property.鈥�
The most recent theft saw thieves take a flat-screen TV and a memory foam mattress from his motor home, which he parked behind the auto shop. The fence surrounding the area had been cut, and Hlushko said that he suspects that those living on the margins of society are responsible for the crime.
鈥淪ociety is all bleeding hearts for them. I鈥檓 sorry 鈥� once you get your personal stuff stolen and everything, it starts to get hard,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he police told me that their hands are tied. They do a bunch of paperwork and then they let them out the other side. They don鈥檛 have any money.鈥�
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Around the corner is the Columbia Bottle Depot on Kent Road, which Hlushko said you鈥檒l find people 鈥渟trung out on drugs.鈥�
鈥淓very business on Spall Road probably deals with it. This whole area 鈥� it鈥檚 just terrible lately,鈥� he said.
Down the street at the Sonic Wash Express on Springfield Road, HR administrator and trainer Karissa Bakowy said that attempts of break-ins at the carwash鈥檚 garbage bin have been the business鈥檚 most repetitive and frustrating crime.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been escalating. As far as I鈥檝e noticed, they keep getting better tools to break in,鈥� said Bakowy. 鈥淣ow, we鈥檝e got a secure, welded lock system on there, so hopefully they can鈥檛 get through now.鈥�
As for why people are targeting the carwash鈥檚 garbage, she said she suspects that perpetrators think that there are valuable items discarded from vehicles after their wash.
鈥淏ut they must be disappointed constantly because we don鈥檛 throw out any valuable items,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e clearly trying to get a few extra items, maybe make a few extra bucks.鈥�
Down the street at La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries on Spall Road, the store鈥檚 windows were smashed by unknown assailants, while no thefts were reported. Right next door at ProSource Irrigation Supply, this business also had its windows vandalized.
鈥淪omebody was throwing rocks over the other side of the fence,鈥� said Travis Turner, the branch manager of 琉璃神社鈥檚 Pro Source location. 鈥淭ook out six or seven of our windows. There were rocks scattered all throughout our store here, glass shattered everywhere.鈥�
While no theft occurred, Turner said that he doesn鈥檛 know why his store or La-Z-Boy were targets of vandalism.
鈥淚 honestly wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if it happened again,鈥� he said.
While he didn鈥檛 want to label those experiencing homelessness in the area as the culprits, he said that he has noticed an increase in homelessness activity.
鈥淭he homeless activity has been getting more and more noticeable, especially down this back alley,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ver the years, it鈥檚 been getting worse here and along the other side of the highway.鈥�
He added that he鈥檚 also seen an increase in drug deals and violence in the area.
鈥淭wo weeks ago, I saw two guys over here. One was in a fetal position on the ground, the other guy was stomping on his head,鈥� he said.
鈥淥ne of our employees was walking out for lunch, and I heard someone yelling again. I looked up and he was being yelled at by a homeless guy across the street. It鈥檚 getting really bad out here.鈥�
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aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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