Vancouver Tim Hortons removes tables and chairs from dining area

Following a downtown Vancouver convenience store’s move to commencement locking up beverages to discourage theft, a engaged concatenation edifice successful Chinatown has removed astir of nan furnishings from its eating area.

It’s opinionated room only successful overmuch of nan engaged Tim Hortons connected Keefer Street aft nan java shop precocious removed tables and chairs.

“I wasn’t really surprised,” customer Sasha Van Beek told Global News Tuesday. “Sometimes if nan bum group are location they won’t get customers truthful they astir apt took them retired conscionable to effort to get customers again.”

“It’s conscionable different measurement to support group retired you know, and support them moving,” added customer Raven Stephenson.

Stephenson said nan location is often 1 of nan only places successful nan area unfastened late, and it’s lukewarm and dry.

“A batch of stores autumn into nan trap of blaming group alternatively of nan poorness that’s created down present and supported down here,” said Stephenson, referring to nan Downtown Eastside.

“I don’t blasted them, I really don’t,” Jonathan Kuiack told Global News Tuesday.

Kuiack said he is 1 of respective group who clasp nan doorway unfastened for Tim Hortons’ customers – successful an effort to gain immoderate spare change.

He said it’s difficult to get into shelters and he understands why nan edifice would region tables.

“Because group travel successful location and they slumber successful there,” Kuiack said successful an interview. “Just (misuse) nan spot correct because location (are) a batch of bum group down here.”

Elsewhere successful nan city, businesses are implementing drastic anti-theft measures.

The 7-11 shop astatine Hornby and Davie Streets has locked up their soft portion and dairy fridges on pinch cough drops, Q-tips and cables truthful anyone wanting 1 of these items now has to inquire nan clerk for help.

Some state stations are moreover removing squeegees from nan washer fluid bins.

In caller weeks, signs were posted adjacent nan pumps astatine nan Shell location connected Main Street astatine East 2nd Avenue, advising customers to inquire wrong for a squeegee.

Global News reached retired to Shell Canada Tuesday regarding nan squeegee situation, and to spot if immoderate different B.C. locations had removed nan wiper tools.

The lipid institution did not respond to our enquiry by deadline and by Tuesday afternoon, squeegees were again successful spot astatine each state pump astatine 1785 Main Street.

An worker who answered nan telephone Tuesday said nan squeegees “used to beryllium wrong but now they’re outside”.

Greg Wilson pinch nan Retail Council of Canada said different retailer advised him they besides removed squeegees because they are being stolen.

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“The presumption is they are taken for usage to gain money astatine a adjacent awesome intersection,” Wilson said.

Retail strategist David Ian Gray believes we will spot much of this successful “at-risk” areas – astatine slightest until nan theft problem originates to recede to anterior levels.

“In nan past, location mightiness person been (a) reluctance to create clash for ‘good’ customers but this is becoming normalized now,” Gray told Global News.

The fearfulness that 1 will suffer customers pinch anti-theft measures is dropping Gray said, while nan fearfulness that much and much inventory will beryllium stolen is rising.

Gray noted downtown Seattle is worse while awesome retailers person abandoned downtown San Francisco.

Wilson besides expects much utmost measures are successful shop arsenic businesses effort to combat not only shoplifting, but accrued violence.

“Chairs and tables tin beryllium thrown,” Wilson told Global News successful an question and reply Tuesday. “Items that are dense and tin beryllium utilized arsenic weapons, thrown either astatine windows aliases astatine unit are problems.”

Wilson said he precocious learned sidewalk signs are being picked up and tossed astatine nan windows of smaller retailers while hand-held market baskets are thrown astatine labor aliases windows.

The Retail Council said Vancouver Police person had very successful unit theft blitzes specified arsenic shoplifting crackdowns, and it would for illustration to spot nan state money a imperishable VPD unit crime unit.

“As a lifelong Vancouverite, I’ve ever looked astatine downtown Vancouver arsenic a secure spot and I dream that that’s what we return to,” Wilson said. “But astatine nan moment, there’s conscionable excessively overmuch crime.”

Global News reached retired to Tim Hortons regarding nan missing furnishings astatine its Vancouver Chinatown location.

The institution did not respond to our requests though immoderate tables and chairs person since reappeared.