Vancouver: A survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has unveiled today that more than half of B.C. small businesses say crime has gotten worse in their communities, and nearly eight in ten say governments are not working well together to address public safety challenges.
The survey also shows that many business owners are no longer reporting crime, signaling a growing loss of confidence in the public safety system. Owners say they often do not report incidents because they do not expect a timely response or meaningful follow-up.
“When businesses tell us they no longer call the police or file reports, that’s a serious warning sign,” said Ryan Mitton, CFIB’s Director of Legislative Affairs for B.C. “We are hearing that confidence in the system is breaking down. Crime is not only becoming more common for small businesses, but increasingly something they feel forced to manage on their own.”
For many businesses, particularly in downtown cores and commercial corridors, crime and street disorder have become part of daily operations. Owners report repeated theft and vandalism, higher spending on security measures, and growing concerns about staff being harassed or threatened while at work or closing up at night.
The CFIB survey further revealed that among B.C. businesses 85% say the taxes they pay do not translate to improvements in community safety, 60% of owners are concerned about their personal safety, and the safety of staff and customers, due to crime and community safety issues, fewer than four in ten businesses are satisfied with the response time or service provided by law enforcement when calling about a crime or community safety issue. A similar share say they “always” file a police report.
Survey results are based on responses from 332 CFIB members between October 9-24, 2025. Though police authorities are repeatedly saying that they are taking required steps to improve safety and security of residents while authorities have also increased the required budget.
“We are hearing that crimes are going unreported because businesses say they are losing faith in the administration of B.C.’s justice system,” added Mitton. “While some new programs like CSTEP show early promise, B.C. businesses still need their governments to enforce the law, improve service levels and provide financial grants to businesses in need of security upgrades or vandalism repairs.”