Burlington business owner says public safety issues are driving customers away: ‘Worst thing I’ve seen’

One business owner in downtown Burlington, Vermont, recognized as much city ​​homelessness and the drug crisis, as well as the rising crime rate, cost his sporting goods store more business than at any time in its long history.

John George-Wheeler, owner of Skirack — a sporting goods store in the heart of Vermont’s most populous town — told Fox News Digital this month that the economic cost of customers driven downtown by safety concerns was worse than any other recession. or the economic downturn his business has experienced in its 55-year lifespan.

“In those 55 years, we’ve been through quite a lot. We’ve been through 2008 and other economic crises. And historically, this is the worst we’ve seen,” George-Wheeler said.

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“We definitely need support from our local Vermonters,” he said.

The local business owner, like other members of the Burlington community, has faced a combination of multiple issues plaguing the city, including rising homelessness, drug addiction and crime that have gripped the picturesque city.

“So when you have the intersection of construction, road closures, economic decline, homelessness, and drug addiction, of course we have to take care of those people who suffer from addiction, but also those people who call this place home. at home or at work downtown day in and day out,” he said.

“And it’s not a one-sided issue. It is multifaceted. And we really need to approach it in a unified, open-minded way in support of the people who pay taxes here.”

Homelessness is at an all-time high in Burlington — with more than 350 people living on the city’s streets. Among them are people addicted to hard drugs like fentanyl, which has led to a 1,000 percent increase in overdoses this year alone, leaving first responders in the lurch.

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Data from 2024 shows that violent crime is also on the rise in the city. Aggravated assault increased by 40% and gunfire increased by nearly 300%. Local residents told Fox News they found him “dangerous” to be outside in public at night.

The store owner described the mood of local business owners following these problems. He said many are finding it difficult, but have found ways to come together and spread awareness of the problems and create solutions.

“I think a lot of companies are tired and burned out – fed up. But I also know that there is a strong group of businesses that are redoubling their efforts to support each other. Whether we feel that support from other sources or not, I think we have each other’s back. And this is the Vermont I grew up in, the Vermont that cares about their neighbor,” George-Wheeler said.

Many of these problems have stemmed from a combination of factors, including an opioid crisis affecting Vermont, a housing crisis in the wake of the pandemic, and the depletion of police forces that occurred in the wake of the racial justice movement of 2020.

That year, the city council approved a resolution supporting a 30% reduction in the police force through attrition. Additionally, the resolution declared racism a citywide public health crisis. As a result, the previous cap of 105 officers has been reduced to just 74.

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In the years since, the Burlington City Council has voted to increase the number of police officers as well as increase funding by $2.47 million. However, the city has struggled to fill the roles as there are currently only 68 officers on the force.

Pomerleau Real Estate CEO and Burlington community leader Ernie Pomerleau told Fox News he believes the initial vote for defund the police it was a “mistake”.

“And so they allowed attrition to destroy the police force – that was a mistake,” he told reporters, adding: “We have to support the police.”

George-Wheeler told Fox News that she believes in the community doing what it can to help the homeless, but stressed that the community needs to start bringing better policing into the equation.

“I think we need to get people into treatment, period. However, you cannot do this without supporting the other side. And in terms of the response of the police and the police, of course, they are not fully equipped to deal with the problems. on hand, and I think the city government agrees with that because they passed in their recent budget – the mayor approved funding to hire ten additional officers.

“We realize they are understaffed and unable to deal with the issues we face as a community,” he said.

Fox News spoke with another Burlington business owner named Patricia, who made a similar point, saying the focus can’t just be on being compassionate to the homeless and addicted, but needs to include wellness business owners and the community at large.

“There seems to be a lot of focus in this city and by the government on helping people who are addicted,” she said. “There seems to be a lack of respect for people who are in business, you know, trying to run a store.”

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