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Pro Stop Auto Center, on the northern end of downtown Kelowna, is once again the target of the destroyers.
“It’s really a failure,” said Jenna Odorizzi, the company’s office manager.
It was early Tuesday morning and Odorizzi found the front window of the store had been smashed.
It is the latest vandalism in the shop since the homeless camp opened on the street five years ago.
“Visiting, theft, breaking in,” Odorizzi describes the various issues the business deals with regularly.
The increase in criminal activity has prompted companies to strengthen security, including the installation of loud alarms and security doors.
However, Odorizzi is concerned that these issues will be worse due to changes implemented in the city of Kelowna in homeless camps, i.e. new operating hours.
In the next few days, the Tent City will transition from 24 hours a day to only spending the night between 5pm and 9am
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The change will force dozens of people to evacuate each morning and local streets.
“We’ve seen a lot of wandering people on the grass, so I can only think it will increase,” Odorizzi said.
Tom Looijschelder opened his butcher shop in the area just eight months ago and repeated vandalism, including cutting holes in the fence around the property.
This is the third time. ” Looijschelder said.
He was also worried about what the daily closure of the tent city would mean for the surrounding area.
“There’s even more minor crime,” he said of the biggest concern. “I think the streets will be flooded 100%.
However, given the stricter rules in Tent City, Kelowna RCMP said: “When needed/when needed, the RCMP will be able to transfer officials to call for services around the surrounding area.”
The city, including bylaw services, said it will closely monitor the potential impact on the community.
“The community safety staff will also interact with businesses directly from next week to ensure we look at this not only from a statistical perspective, but from a nearby area,” said Kevin Mead, Acting Director of Community Safety at Kelowna City.
At Pro Stop Auto Center, the operator does not wait. They have planned to better protect themselves just in case.
“It seems we will have to take more precautions,” Odorizzi said.
& Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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