Changes at Kelownas tent city have area businesses concerned [Video]

The Pro Stop Auto Centre in the north end of Kelowna’s downtown core has again been targeted by vandals.

“It’s really defeating,” said Jenna Odorizzi, the company’s office manager.

It was early Tuesday morning when Odorizzi discovered one of the shop’s front windows was smashed.

It’s the latest act of vandalism at the shop since a homeless encampment opened down the street about five years ago.

“Vandalism, thefts, break-ins,” Odorizzi said as she described the kinds of problems the business has to deal with regularly.

The increase in criminal activity has prompted the business to beef up security including the installation of loud alarms and security gates.

However, Odorizzi fears that those problems will get worse because of changes the City of Kelowna is implementing at the homeless encampment, namely the new hours of operation.

In the coming days, tent city will transition from operating 24 hours a day to …