Jim’s Clothes Closet in Campbell River is cleaning up a big mess and counting its losses.
This comes after an early morning break-and-enter at the store led to pricey damages, and left its shelves looking much emptier.
General manager Drew Bradley says the suspect, or suspects, broke through the front window this past Wednesday at around 5:00 am.
They then smashed display cases, before fleeing the scene with a handful of watches, hoodies, and unique leather jackets.
“With damages to the windows and the repair, we’re going to be upwards of $5,000,” Bradley says. “It’s not a small amount.”
“A lot of our stuff is unique products. We hand select our products and try to find unique West Coast items that fit guys’ lifestyles.”
Luckily, Bradley says the incident was caught on cam, and the store’s alarm system was triggered. This means the culprits had little time to shop around.
Campbell River RCMP was dispatched to the scene, and Bradley says they’re now investigating the robbery.
However, Bradley is hoping loyal customers and the community can help out, as a lot of stolen goods often end up getting sold online.
“We have four locations on Vancouver Island, so we have a lot of customers on Vancouver Island. We thought why not reach out to our local community and ask them to keep their eyes peeled.”
With word of mouth, Bradley thinks karma will come into play, and the culprits will be caught.
“We’ve dealt with it in the past, but it’s not a major thing we have to deal with within our communities. We have had a few over the last couple of years in Campbell River, since the safe injection site popped up in our area.”
Bradley says Jim’s Clothes Closet has been in Campbell River for around nine years now, and within the last 18 months, staff have “definitely seen an influx in some transient, non-locals.”
“We’re attributing it to the injection site,” he says. “We’re a little dissatisfied that the City approved that. We are unaware of what solutions that they’re working behind the scenes to try and correct the crime and loitering that’s happening in and around downtown Campbell River. It’s definitely a concern.”
In an effort to discourage what the City calls “negative behaviour” away from the area, it says it’s offering downtown property owners funding to support building design and storefront changes.
The City has also wrangled up a downtown safety select committee, that’ll work with council and provide recommendations for immediate improvement.
“It’s definitely disheartening because we know it’s not a local Campbell River contributing member to society, which is a little bit frustrating,” adds Bradley. “We’ve been in business in Campbell River for some time, and through Covid, it’s definitely been tough being a small business.”
If you see anything being sold/traded online or notice any suspicious activity, Bradley is now asking that you reach out to the local RCMP. See photos of the stolen items here.
