Sue Bloomingdale says she’s had enough.
The owner of Sisters Rock’n Gems was heading into work recently when she was confronted by a man wielding a machete in an alley behind her store at 1476 Fourth Ave.
She had just turned into the alley to park when she saw the man trying to break into the neighbouring store.
“He saw that I saw him, and that’s when he pulled the machete out,” she said. “Because I saw him, he thinks it’s OK to pull a machete out, and I felt threatened.”
She said she was reminded of a friend — her mechanic — who lost sight in his right eye after a violent robbery.
“I wasn’t going to let it go,” she said.
The man initially pulled the machete out and then put it back. Bloomingdale backed into her parking spot, but said he turned toward her again and made a threatening gesture with the blade.
“It was like he was saying, ‘Keep your mouth shut or I’ll get you,’” she said. “I’ve just had enough. That’s when I called the police.”
She said officers arrived quickly and arrested the suspect before he reached the end of the alley. Four police cars were involved in boxing him in.
Bloomingdale said police recommended she seek a restraining order, which she agreed to — but it came with a downside.
“That means he now has my full name and the store’s address, which is not ideal,” she said.
She expressed frustration with what she described as a revolving-door justice system.
“The police do the right thing and take them away, but after that something goes very wrong in our system and the criminals get out right away,” she said. “That’s not right. There are no consequences.”
The man has been charged with assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 20, and Bloomingdale said she plans to attend — which means she’ll have to close her store for the day.
She also questioned city planning decisions, saying shelters for unhoused individuals are being placed too close to retail businesses.
“Why can’t we have a safe place for businesses, and a safe place for those needing help, that is away from us?” she asked. “Drug addicts are unpredictable and have become more and more violent recently. How can I expect my customers to feel safe when I don’t even feel safe?”
Bloomingdale said running a small business leaves no room for days off, and she doesn’t believe physical threats should be part of the job.
“I feel the issue lies with — you can’t have Specialty Avenue and allow these shelters to surround us,” she said. “You can’t expect drug addicts not to act like drug addicts.”
She said many people struggling with addiction resort to theft to feed their habits, and are released too quickly after being caught.
“It used to be a safe area of downtown,” she said. “It’s Specialty Avenue! That should still mean something. Look at all the beautiful shops and restaurants on Third Avenue. Why should we be forced to move from downtown because we don’t feel safe?”
Bloomingdale said the situation has prompted many businesses to install buzzers on their locked doors to control who enters.
“It’s always something down here,” she said.
One recent incident involved a man lighting a bonfire in the alley behind her store, claiming it was because his girlfriend had broken up with him.
“What?! It just doesn’t make any sense to me,” she said. “And the unhoused people in the downtown core are just allowed to keep behaving like this.”
She said the problem worsened after wildfires in Williams Lake brought evacuees to Prince George, adding that the homeless population has grown and become more violent.
“We used to help the homeless who were down on their luck,” she said. “But then it seemed like there were so many violent people from out of town, and they just kept coming.”
Bloomingdale said shelters are now spread throughout the city, including in residential areas, and it isn’t working.
“My daughter lives in College Heights and the homeless moved into her kids’ tree fort,” she said. “There are needles all over the ground. At Spruceland, you’ve got to be careful. Parkwood businesses have suffered — the grocery store moved because of it, I’m sure.”
She said people experiencing homelessness have told her they don’t feel safe in the shelters.
“There are gangs in there, and they get beat up,” she said. “They say staff can be disrespectful, and when they sleep, all their belongings get stolen.”
Bloomingdale said she believes the city needs to take a more comprehensive approach.
“Why aren’t we addressing these issues?” she asked. “Something has to be done about all of it.”
