Chinatown store owner says the Downtown Eastside has ‘broken him’

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A store owner in Chinatown says his shop has been under constant attack since it opened a year and a half ago, and the Downtown Eastside has “broken him.”

Kevin Williams says he’s had to break up drug deals and drug use on his door-step and he’s been called racist and homophobic names. He’s even seen an elderly woman spit on.

“No one stopped, no one did anything,” Williams said. “Obviously she was affected by it and she was angry, but she just walked away. She didn’t want to call the police, she didn’t want to do anything.”

His store has been hit with vandalism, theft, and apathy.

“I’ve had five windows smashed, I’ve had my sandwich board smashed,” he said. “Someone tried to steal it the other day.”

He says he understands many in the area are facing issues like poverty, or drug addiction, but he’s running out of patience.

“I’ve had people try and steal, walking in the store and steal, I’ve had people throw punches at me.”

Williams posted his plea to reddit, where it quickly went viral. He’s hoping the City of Vancouver or the police department can do more to try and protect people like himself. He’s also planning to speak with other business owners in the area to see if they can come up with a plan together.

The VPD says the Downtown Eastside is a “very complex environment” and there are “unique public safety challenges.”

The department acknowledges there are high levels of poverty, addiction, and mental health issues in the neighbourhood, as well as a lot of property crime and “street disorder.”

It says dedicated officers have been in the area for several years on foot.

“They provide a visible presence and work hard to proactively address issues around property crime, street disorder and violence,” said Sgt. Jason Robillard.

He says while officers reach out to homeless people or those living with mental illness and addictions, they also keep in touch with the business community.

“We are concerned about the challenges faced by the store owner in the social media post and encourage him to reach out to us so we can help. We have also provided the post to our front line officers for follow up.”

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments from the Vancouver Police Department.