A business owner in downtown Burlington, Vermont admitted: city ​​homelessness The drug crisis and rising crime rate have cost the sporting goods store more business than ever before in its long history.

John George-Wheeler, owner of Skirack, a sports store in the heart of Vermont’s most populous city, told Fox News Digital this month that the economic cost of driving customers away from downtown due to safety concerns is worse than any other recession. or the economic crisis his business has seen throughout its 55-year lifespan.

“We’ve been through a lot over these 55 years. We’ve been through 2008 and other economic crises. And in terms of history, this is the worst thing we’ve ever seen,” George-Wheeler said.

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John George-Wheeler, owner of Skirack, a sports store in Burlington, Vermont, said the city’s homeless and drug addiction crisis is destroying his business by driving away customers. (Fox News Digital)

“We absolutely need the support of our local Vermonters,” he said.

The local business owner, like other members of the Burlington community, is grappling with a combination of issues plaguing the picturesque city, including increases in homelessness, drug addiction and crime.

“So at the intersection of construction, road closures, economic crisis, homelessness, and drug addiction, of course we need to take care of the people who are harmed by addiction, but we also need to take care of the people who are looking for this place. “I work every day at home or in the city centre,” he said.

“And this isn’t a one-way issue. It’s a multi-faceted issue. And we really need to approach it in a unified, open-minded way to support the people who pay taxes here.”

Homelessness in Burlington is at an all-time high; More than 350 people live on the streets of the city. Among them are people who are addicted to hard drugs such as fentanyl. 1000 percent increase in overdose This year alone, it has put first responders in a difficult position.

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Two people are seen walking along a brick path on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont. (Fox News)

2024 data reveal that violent crimes have also increased in the city. Serious attacks increased by 40 percent, and gunfire increased by almost 300 percent. Local residents told Fox News they found it”“It’s dangerous to be outside” in public places at night.

The shop owner described the mood of local business owners in the wake of these problems. He said many found it difficult but found ways to come together, spread awareness of the problems and brainstorm solutions.

“I think a lot of businesses are tired and exhausted, fed up. But I also know that there’s a strong group of businesses that are redoubling their efforts to support each other. Whether or not we feel the support from other sources, I think we’ve achieved that,” George-Wheeler said. “This is the Vermont where I grew up, the Vermont that takes care of its neighbors, takes care of its neighbors,” he said.

Many of these issues stemmed from a combination of factors, including an opioid crisis affecting Vermont, the housing crisis in the wake of the pandemic, and police force depletion that occurred in the wake of the racial justice movement in 2020.

That year, the city council approved a resolution supporting a 30% reduction in the police force through attrition. Additionally, the resolution declared racism a citywide public health crisis. As a result, the previous limit of 105 officers was reduced to just 74.

PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOOD IS STRUGGLE WITH HOMELESS ISSUE, DRUG USERS ARE NOT FALLING FLESH FROM THEIR BONES

Two homeless men try to stay warm outside a business in Burlington, Vermont, as the temperature drops at dusk. (Fox News)

In the years since, the Burlington City Council has voted to increase funding by $2.47 million along with increasing the number of police officers. But the city has struggled to fill those roles, as the police force currently has only 68 officers.

Ernie Pomerleau, CEO of Pomerleau Real Estate and Burlington community leader, told Fox News that the first vote Defunding the police was a “mistake.”

“And so they allowed attrition to collapse the police force; that was a mistake,” he said, adding, “We need to support the police.”

George-Wheeler told Fox News that she believes the community is doing what it can to help the homeless, but emphasized that the community needs to start incorporating better policing into the equation.

“I think we need to get people into treatment, period. But you can’t do that without supporting the other side. And in terms of the police and the police response, admittedly, they’re not fully equipped to deal with the problems. We’ve got it, and I believe the city government is on board with it because the last approved their budget – the mayor provided funds to hire ten additional officers.

“We know they are understaffed and unable to solve the problems we face as a community,” he said.

Fox News spoke with Patricia, another Burlington business owner, who made a similar point, stating that the focus should not only be on being compassionate towards the homeless and addicts, but should also include the well-being of business owners and the community at large.

“This town and the government seem to be very focused on helping addicted people,” he said. “There seems to be a lack of respect for the people who are doing business, trying to run a store.”

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