A Washington business owner is on the verge of settling down and moving to the Lone Star State, after a string of break-ins over the past year have threatened her business.
Antique Marketplace owner Carly Willis said she's seriously considering the move as crime plagues her small business.
We have been seriously considering a move, said Willis in a statement on Varney Co. My expenses are a loss of revenue. I have lost revenue from rents. It is some merchandise on my part, but mostly my dealers are the ones suffering the loss of merchandise. So I lost just a handful of things, and it's the damage that's really causing the biggest problem. Over nearly 12 months, Willis' store saw three separate break-ins, necessitating her to apply plywood and other materials to deter thieves. She admitted that the move made her storefront less appealing and cost her customers and revenue.
It looks like we've been vandalized. I have a huge couple of sheets of plywood over a 5-by-8-foot door window, she said.
For business owners in the state, especially outside of Seattle, Willis' experience is a common reality, she said.
However, it's very common where we are. It's a common sight to see plywood on windows and doors. But I do have very loyal customers that we are very thankful for. Businesses face a challenge due to the high level of crime and insufficient public safety resources. Willis said, What police presence they do have is often crippled by policies from the Democrat leadership.
Every police officer I have come in contact with after one of these incidents has been extremely downtrodden. Their hands are quite tied because of the bad laws that have been passed in Washington state.
Willis took her concerns along with other concerned business owners to a city council meeting earlier this month. She urged the leaders to do more to provide remedies for the crime.
We are not happy with the situation. We're trying to come up with remedies within what we can do. And it's just time, she said, is going to tell at this point. I have every intention of speaking with our lawmakers in the next 2024 session to discuss what's going on with us because they need to know.