B.C. businesses say crime is driving fear, costs and silence

Vancouver, January 20, 2026– 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, according to an October 2025 survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

The survey also shows that many business owners are no longer reporting crime, signalling 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.”

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.

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.

“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.”

Survey results are based on responses from 332 CFIB members between October 9-24, 2025.

For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Kalith Nanayakkara
kalith.nanayakkara@cfib.ca 

About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca .