Business owner having second thoughts about move
The owner of Euphoria Wellness Spa says she’s secondguessing her decision to have located her business downtown after a recent series of daytime incidents outside the building.
Simone Dobson wrote in a letter to police there have been attempted thefts, panhandling, drug injection and a man sleeping in the spa entrance lately.
“After investing the incredible resources to restore the historic building that has made Euphoria Wellness Spa a destination in downtown Peterborough, I am now questioning having located my business downtown,” Dobson wrote.
But on Tuesday night when the Peterborough Police Services Board reviewed the letter, city police Deputy Chief Tim Farquharson said he’s already reached out to Dobson about increasing safety. He said business owners who are concerned can call city police, and the sergeant in charge of the area will work with them: “We’ll come up with a strategy.”
Dobson wrote that on Dec. 20 her staff saw a young man trying to break into cars in the
Euphoria parking lot, and she chased him away.
On Jan. 6, one of her employees was approached by a panhandler on her way into work.
Then on Jan. 11, four men were injecting themselves with syringes at the picnic table outside the Canoe Café (which is in the spa) and on Jan. 18, 22 and 23 a man was found sleeping at the front doors at the spa entrance.
Board member Les Kariunas asked what has been done already
to assist.
Farquharson said police and the spa owner are working on plans that may include sending more officers around the area on foot patrol or adding exterior security cameras.
“We’ll continue to work on it and monitor it,” Farquharson said. “We’ll follow up with that store owner — and any store owner — on how things are going, and what else we might have to implement. But it might not be enough — it might continue to be a problem.”
Farquharson said “there’s a gamut of problems” in the area such as mischief, found syringes,
open-air injections and thefts from vehicles, and that agencies such as PARN may have a role to play in offering help to people addicted to drugs who hang out in the area.
The business owner also usually has great ideas for fixing the situation and police are there to help them, Farquharson said.
“It’s not all about our decisions — we want it to be the owner coming up with the strategy and we help them, and we support them. We’ll keep monitoring that location — and any other location.”