‘Very angry and very frustrated’: White Rock store closes due to repeated break-ins
Global News
Owner Mandy Johnston said it’s due to the sheer amount of crime she has to deal with in the neighbourhood.
A paddle board store in White Rock, B.C., has decided to close its doors forever.
Sea Gods owner Mandy Johnston said it’s due to the sheer amount of crime she has to deal with in the neighbourhood.
“I am very angry and very frustrated at the situation,” Johnston said.
Surveillance video shows the first break-in that happened last spring. A suspect used a hammer to smash open a window before snatching a pair of sunglasses.
Johnston said two more break-ins after that led her to close her shop.
“We are a small family business. It was really heartbreaking. Now I have to tell people we are online only, we don’t have the showroom anymore, which is really disappointing,” she said.
“Financially, it’s about $2,000 to $3,000 for every broken window. And it’s not just about the money, the insurance implications, dealing with strata … it’s the extra loss in productivity.”
The business has suffered since closing the showroom, around a 10 per cent drop in sales.
