Former Kelowna councilor Andre Blenleil owns Andre’s Electronics with stores across BC.
It has multiple stores in the Central Okanagan, including a new Telus store in Clement near the new RCMP building and Andres Car Audio on the corner of Harvey Avenue and Spall.
These two companies, along with many others in our city, have been the target of thieves and vandals in recent months.
Bleneil was so frustrated at the weekend that he scolded his Facebook page.
“Time to deal with the criminals on Kelowna Street. This morning was the 7th incident in our 2 Kelowna stores in the last 6 weeks. This morning the 2nd break-in in our building on New Clement Ave (20 seconds away from the RCMP building).
I know there are some genuinely homeless people on the streets, but we also have a BIGGER group of mentally ill, drug addicted street criminals. Our employees have to deal with it every day and that was the main reason we got our Telus from Bernard Ave. moved to the new Clement area. It is NOT better. It is time for the RCMP and the courts to do their job and protect us ALL.
I know it’s easy to blame the city, but it’s a provincial and federal matter. We need treatment facilities or prison terms. Let them choose !!! Just doing what we’re doing now doesn’t work for anyone.
My comments are not about the money lost (that’s thousands in the last 6 weeks) but about the safety of our employees and the public. I will likely get some negative comments on this post, but we need changes. Stop building housing and start building treatment facilities !!! “
Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran says he understands the frustration of business owners dealing with repetitive crime. Some things have been committed by the homeless, or as Blaneil calls them, street criminals.
Basran says the city is waiting for the province to introduce a housing model and support for the homeless population with the most complex problems.
“They cause most of the problems. They are the ones who consume the most RCMP and constitutional resources. They are the ones who keep frustrating business owners. Why don’t we get this money out the door so we can get these people? From ours Streets? “
The mayor says the money for the housing and the support comes from the province – but it is not coming quickly enough.
