A Vancouver Island businessman is growing increasingly frustrated with the growing number of break-ins to his Gold Silver Guy stores.
Jeff Ross suffered his latest theft from his Duncan store and cannot get insurance, so the entire loss comes out of pocket.
It happened Thursday morning at Gold Silver Guy’s Duncan location on Station Street and was captured on video surveillance. The thief took just minutes to break through the store’s glass and into three display cases that he quickly emptied.
“A city worker was watering plants and heard the noise (and) came down and gave chase, or perhaps it might’ve been much worse … Sure, no one lives downtown, but how do you protect yourself?” asked Ross, the owner, who is also known as the Gold Silver Guy.
This is the latest break-in, despite multi-layers of security. It’s left Ross out $4,500.
It’s the third break-in at his stores since October.
“Totalling just about $75,000 at my cost and I don’t mean markup, and I don’t mean retail,” he said. “That’s actually my net cost because of the quantity of break-ins in my career, I cannot buy insurance. It doesn’t matter the value. I’m not insurable. It’s a 100 per cent loss.”
Ross says this is the 19th break-in at his stores during his 25 years running businesses on Vancouver Island. CHEK News covered his 13th break-in in May 2021.
He says in this case, someone possessing two pieces of stolen jewelry was caught — the first time he’s ever retrieved anything that was stolen. But the person responsible for the break-in has not been found.
Ross says the justice system should be tougher and more effort should be given to helping people get off drugs.
“I am all for helping somebody if they’re willing to help themselves, but time after time the whole society has to pay for the ambulance service to go out. It all takes time and money away from the medical profession,” he said.
Ross says the continued break-ins make him question being in business.
“It makes a person want to give up is what it amounts to. At what point do you say enough is enough?”
Ross says he’s fed up with paying for someone else’s drug habit. He’s hoping the man responsible for the break-in will also be caught though he’s not holding his breath for that to happen.
Kendall Hanson
