St. Stephen businesses hit hard by increased crime – New Brunswick | 24CA News
The small city of St. Stephen, N.B., has been feeling the pressures of massive metropolis points. According to the city’s native chamber of commerce, there was a rise in crime, like vandalism, arson and break and enters, within the border city. It comes because the city continues to carry emergency conferences to resolve the problems.
Nobody is aware of the city’s crime points higher than Bob Sweeney, the proprietor of Sweeney International Marine Corporation (SIMCorp), who research the waters alongside the Bay of Fundy and world wide.
His business was focused in an arson assault late Monday night. The suspects burned his roughly $90,000 boat and nearly burned his different boat however the hearth division responded in time to forestall it.
Bob Sweeney stated the boat arson might have ruined his business.
Bob Sweeney / Submitted
Sweeney advised Global News on Thursday that the fireplace might have probably ruined his business, which was getting ready to go on the water the following morning. He referred to as himself “fortunate,” having solely misplaced one boat and never shedding the adjoining boats and vehicles Monday night.
“It’s more pronounced than it was a few years ago,” Sweeney stated.
“Years ago, we used to keep our doors and vehicles unlocked, and today is quite the contrary.”
He recommended the native St. Stephen Chamber of Commerce, which despatched a letter to its members on Tuesday.
“Over the past six months, the concept of safety has diminished significantly in our community,” the letter learn. “You have told us that you no longer feel safe in your business, you fear for the safety of your employees and customers. As Chamber members, you have had to lock your doors during business hours, had to ensure no employee works alone, closed your business to avoid issues and change how you run your business.
“This cannot continue.”
The chamber echoed that assertion in an interview with Global News on Thursday, the place its CEO Jason Rideout stated the RCMP is ready to satisfy with him and members on Tuesday.
“Vandalism has never been to the point that it is now,” he stated, talking by way of Zoom.
“It’s constant, and I can say three years ago, there wasn’t this issue of not feeling safe in your business or in your community.”
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The mayor of St. Stephen described a gathering with the chamber and different group teams Friday night, the place the city introduced ahead its points.
He referred to as in town to cease pointing fingers and throwing stones at one another, saying that the council is seeking to tackle the problems instantly. He stated that the city would wish to take a look at a proactive method to stopping crime within the space.
The city is seeking to its police pressure as one of many options however stated discovering an acceptable answer will take time.
“We need support in this,” Mayor Allan MacEachern stated on Saturday in St. Stephen.
“We need the province to take hold of the situation and prevent it. We’re just a small community that’s faced with a huge problem that we’re not used to facing.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
