A Penticton business owner is speaking out after his business was hit with what he鈥檚 calling 鈥渟enseless vandalism.鈥�

Axel Hasenkox, owner of OP Office Products, is fed up with the 鈥渦nreasonable鈥� behaviour he frequently sees around his Duncan Avenue business near Penticton Plaza.

Hasenkox was shocked Monday (Nov. 23) to discover someone had apparently tagged the top of his building in broad daylight during store hours.

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Hasenkox said he and his co-workers thought they heard 鈥渂irds on the roof鈥� before they ventured outside and discovered the crude graffiti.

鈥淭he sad part is people don鈥檛 think of the consequences when they do this. It鈥檚 hard enough to own a business at this time,鈥� Hasenkox said.

He estimates it will cost $5,000.

鈥淲e called the RCMP because this is an ongoing thing where people who hate everything go around tagging,鈥� said Hasenkox.

Overall, he鈥檚 growing tired with the seemingly never-ending stream of vagrant and delinquent behaviour in the area surrounding his business.

Hasenkox has owned OP Office Products for 25 years. He said owning a business in downtown Penticton has gotten harder and harder as years have passed.

Constantly finding drug paraphernalia littered around his shop and crossing paths with people sleeping on his store鈥檚 doorstep when he opens in the morning has Hasenkox fed up.

鈥淭he problem is there aren鈥檛 enough police to cover everything all the time鈥� however there aren鈥檛 enough consequences for people doing stupid things either,鈥� he said.

Hasenkox said he鈥檚 just going to have to put up with the graffiti on his store for now until he鈥檚 able to remove it.

鈥淩ight now we鈥檙e in a tough spot because it鈥檚 too cold to paint and we鈥檇 need a cherry picker to get up there,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to keep things reasonable but it鈥檚 just gotten worse and worse over the years.

鈥淎s time goes on I鈥檝e become less and less sympathetic because it鈥檚 costing more and more.鈥�

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jesse.day@pentictonwesternnews.com
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