MOOSE JAW — A recent business impact survey conducted by the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce highlights the growing concerns of local business owners about safety, social issues, and the effects of these issues on daily operations.
The survey took approximately two months to complete and included voluntary participation from among the Chamber’s roughly 600 registered members.
“There are so many things that are happening for the businesses here — not only the economy, but the social issues and the cost of… graffiti, theft, etc.,” said Rob Clarke, CEO of the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce. “We want to keep (these businesses) fully aware of what’s happening and what the police are doing.
“We gathered what (questions) we thought were essential and… we had (almost) 80 respondents out of the membership,” he said. “We had enough to do (the survey) and (obtain) some… concrete data.”
Survey details
The survey included 77 total respondents. The majority of these businesses are located within city limits (73 out of 77 or 94.81 per cent) and participants were primarily located in the northwest (67 per cent) and downtown core (30 per cent). Businesses within the downtown core included a two-block area east and west of Main Street North.
Many businesses in the survey have been operating for several years with 45.4 per cent reporting that they were in business for 30 years or more. Key sectors include agriculture (10.39 per cent), business and professional services (11.69 per cent), and health care (3.9 per cent).
The majority of these businesses employ between one and 10 workers (53 per cent) and 11 to 25 workers (18 per cent).
Concern for safety
From 2021 to 2024, 54 per cent of respondents reported an increased concern about the safety of their employees. Of these, 55 per cent of business owners reported hearing similar concerns from customers.
Based on the region, business owners reported the following safety concerns:
- Northwest: Safety concerns include increased incidents of theft and vandalism, especially during late hours.
- Northeast: Safety concerns include aggressive behaviour from individuals loitering around businesses and some employees report feeling threatened.
- Downtown: Safety concerns include inadequate lighting and the presence of unsheltered individuals.
- Southwest: Safety concerns include a rise in reported break-ins and a lack of visible security measures. Employees report feeling vulnerable.
- Southeast: Safety concerns include poor infrastructure including broken sidewalks and poorly maintained parking lots which pose hazards.
- Outside city limits: Employees reported the lack of regular police patrols and slow incident response times as leading safety concerns.
Between 2021 and 2024, respondents were asked to report specific impacts experienced by themselves or their employees. The most commonly reported issues include:
- Loitering and trespassing (82.46 per cent)
- Vandalism (56 per cent)
- Theft (56 per cent)
- Harassing actions and/or violence (56 per cent)
- Needles and other hazardous waste (49 per cent)
In an unsettling twist, nine businesses reported human defecation in the 2017 to 2020 period with one reporting this in “seven to nine” instances. From 2021 to 2024, 35.09 per cent of 20 respondents report discovering human excrement.
Financial losses
Survey respondents were asked to estimate their financial losses due to “criminality and social issues.” The range indicates that different businesses and business types have been affected unequally and incidents range from minor damages to substantial financial setbacks.
Out of 21 businesses that reported a specific financial loss in the 2017 to 2020 period, the average reported loss was $19,047, with a median value of $5,000 and $500 reported most frequently (three instances). The minimum reported loss was $150 and the maximum loss was $200,000.
Out of 34 businesses that reported a specific financial loss in the 2021 to 2024 period, the average reported loss was $30,545, with a median value of $3,250 and both $500 and $10,000 were reported most frequently (four instances each). The minimum reported loss was $100 and the maximum loss was $300,000.
Survey results indicate that business owners now face a growing trend in safety and financial sustainability concerns.
Law enforcement feedback
Survey results indicate that a stronger level of engagement is needed between business owners, law enforcement, and the City of Moose Jaw. A majority of businesses (approximately 68 per cent within the past 12 months) report regularly interacting with the police (60 per cent on a monthly basis).
Satisfaction with the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) was generally positive. Of the total, 83 per cent indicated that officers were professional and 76 per cent said reports were followed up on effectively.
One anonymous comment summarized a few similar opinions: “I believe they (MJPS) are doing the best they can within a broken system.”
There were still calls for improvements related to response times and prosecution outcomes (60 per cent) with a focus on deterring repeat offenders, however.
Regarding the City of Moose Jaw, 23 per cent of respondents felt the city engaged effectively with businesses on these specific issues while 42 per cent expressed that more needs to be done. Business owners emphasized the need for the city to take a more active role in addressing the root causes of crime, increasing police patrols in vulnerable areas, and addressing homelessness and safety concerns in high-traffic areas.
A few anonymous comments asked for the city to “Work with organizations to approve and move shelter and homelessness programs forward more quickly,” “Engage with the provincial government to provide more resources,” and to have city employees clean up streets, garbage cans, and sidewalks more frequently.
Now that the results are in, Clarke said the Chamber is sharing the survey results with the MJPS, City of Moose Jaw, its business members, and any like-minded organizations that are interested in helping to find solutions.
The Chamber’s communications committee is planning to provide regular advice on key topics from the survey and also plans a follow-up survey sometime in 2025.
For more information and to view the survey results online, visit MJChamber.com or call 306-692-6414.
