Band of businesses

Lindsay James knows how hard it is when your business gets broken into.

The owner of The Scarlet Studio and Artisan Market had her 30th Avenue business broken into earlier this year.

When she heard the Okanagan Skate Company had been broken into for a third time she decided to take action.

James said she knows of several downtown businesses that have been “hit” lately so she is spearheading a meeting on Sept. 26 at Ratio at 6 p.m. for business owners to discuss ways to improve security.

“There are so many of us that are getting hit and I thought if I got broken into three times I don't know if I could keep going,” said James. “It's hard to come back from that. It's hard to keep suffering that loss. I wanted to show some support.”

James admitted it is hard to combat the actions of other people, but there are things business owners can do.

“What we can do is stick together,” she said. “The initiative I want to create is called the Vernon TWB Fund. Basically that just means Together We're Better.”

James said the idea is to have downtown businesses all chip in $15 a month – a cost only $180 a year – but collectively would generate several thousand dollars that could then go to support a business that was broken into or had other hardships thrust upon it.

James said the focus of the meeting will be to have business owners come together to share ideas, make suggestions and work as a community to combat crime in the downtown core.

“I think that if all of us get together we could create something really good,” she said.

The Downtown Vernon Association will be at the meeting and executive director Laura Konkin said the DVA has ideas that will help businesses and the public stay safe.

“We have a partnership with the City of Vernon to execute an $11,000 surveillance camera grant,” said Konkin, adding the DVA is in the process of putting together the details of what businesses will need to qualify for the grant.

“It's going to be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The DVA will pay up to 50 per cent for the addition of any surveillance cameras put into a business or upgrading to an existing system that will improve the quality of the capture of the video,” said Konkin.

Konkin said the surveillance cameras would be internal, but “would like to suggest” businesses have at least one camera covering the front door and sidewalk area.

She said the cameras will hopefully deter crime and improve public safety in the area.

The DVA has also applied for grants, including one that would allow them to hire someone full time for 10 months to work on a safety and security street assessment program.

Photo: Contributed