Long-time business owner frustrated with crime in Lethbridge’s downtown
LETHBRIDGE – Mike Vercillo points out the large steel plates on the outside doors to the apartment building he owns, and the timed locks on the vestibule doors; the fencing put up to protect tenants on one side of his property and all the new locks that were placed on more than half a dozen storage unit doors that were broken into recently.
Not only that, the life long Lethbridge resident and long-time building owner will soon be installing video cameras in and around his building, to protect it from the near-constant flow of addicts and homeless people trying any way they can, to get inside to warm up, to sleep, or to find a place to use.
His property and the area surrounding it is littered with used saline pods, discarded needles, and disposable spoons used for cooking any number of illicit drugs.
The exasperation is evident in his voice, as he tries his best to fortify the building, spending thousands of dollars in recent months to help his tenants feel safe, something he says is very important to him.