Small Businesses Fight Crime Surge

0:00A fresh survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business hit this week, revealing that 50 percent of small business owners see crime, rising in their communities over the past year, while only 2 percent noticed any drop. That lines up with national stats from Statistics Canada, showing police reported shoplift in cases under $5,000 jumped 14 percent in 2024 compared to last year marking the fourth straight yearly rise and a whopping 66 percent increase since 2014. This ongoing wave is hitting small businesses hard, especially those main street spots that keep neighborhoods alive, creating real sustained pressure on their daily grind. Owners are fighting back with changes like locking doors even during open hours, setting up buddy systems for staff and cutting back on solo shifts, to boost safety. The Federation calls this safety crisis unacceptable and pushes for governments to team up on real fixes, leaving small business owners hoping for that.

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