By Cheryl Jahn

crime

MLA’s to host retail crime forum on September 4

Aug 25, 2025 | 2:58 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — The issue of crime in the community, particularly downtown, goes back years. Earlier this year, two City Councillors put forward a notice of motion, seeking to coordinate a business and retail crime response forum, which would identify what the city can do “within its lane” to ensure a safer business environment.

“It kind of came down from one conversation that both Councillor Tim Bennett and I were in, an ongoing conversation with a large employer in Prince George experiencing issues with their frontline staff and having challenges with folks who are stealing and also with obviously their bottom line having giant challenges with the theft,” says Councillor Kyle Sampson. But that motion has been deferred to the three local MLA’s.

“We need up-to-date information on where things are at for public safety, both in our downtown and in the business community,” explains the MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie, Kiel Giddens.

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“This event is targeted towards businesses specifically.” Giddens continued, “This is meant to be much more focused on what businesses and the retail sector are really facing right now, because we want to be able to support them in the Legislature and support to advocate for policies on their behalf.”

In a letter to Council, Councillors Kyle Sampson and Tim Bennett concede that the City will not solve crime overnight, instead hoping this initiative can help build partnerships that can make faster and smarter decisions, “in their own lane.”

“The City can only do so much” says Giddens. “We want up-to-date information from what businesses are seeing and feeling and hearing on the ground. We know what they’re going through, so that we know that we can advocate to the province for to stop the crisis of prolific offenders. That’s honestly one of the biggest parts of the problem.”

However, Councillor Sampson says he has no presumptions as to what messages will be coming forward or what the outcome will be.

“My hope is that the business community feels a little bit more connected,” says Sampson. “Feels like they have a better direct line to the resources they need to help curb this behaviour in our community.”

The event will take place at the Ramada Hotel on September 4 at 5:00 p.m.