Saskatoon sports store owner ‘traumatized’ by multiple break-ins

A recent string of break-ins has left a Saskatoon sports store owner and her livelihood in crisis.

“It’s going to close our doors completely if we have to continue this way,” said Susan Vincent, owner of Tm2Sports.

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She said her store, which is located in the city’s North Industrial area, was the target of vandalism and theft multiple times in September.

The attacks started during the Labour Day long weekend, when thieves threw rocks through the store’s windows and stole shoes, clothing and other merchandise.

Vincent said the thieves also grabbed duffel bags and filled them with even more goods from the store.

After the break-in, she said she boarded up the windows, but the thieves returned and tried to pry the plywood off so they could break in again.

“I have severe PTSD at this point because it’s just traumatic,” Vincent said.

Vincent estimated that her business has lost more than $20,000 in stolen merchandise and damages.

Some of the store’s clothing hangers have been found in nearby garbage bins and some empty boxes were left on the stairs of a nearby business, the store owner said.

“We just want to get out of here, because now we don’t know if we really are a target or not, and the police have just not done anything,” she said.

Vincent said police haven’t followed up on the break-ins, despite multiple calls.

She said it’s been more difficult to navigate insurance claims after the recent break-ins, saying she has to provide an entire inventory of the store.

Tm2Sprts in the Saskatoon’s North Industrial area has been the target of vandalism and theft multiple times, and owner Susan Vincent says she’d like to see police doing more. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

She said it could take months before insurance comes through for her.

Vincent said her landlord has asked her to dish out thousands to install bars on the store’s windows.

She said other businesses in the area have also been the target of break-ins, and staff at another business located in her building have filed 17 police reports within the last year.

As a small business owner, Vincent said she is doing what she can to stay afloat, including cutting the store’s prices in half to try to secure more cash flow until her inventory is restocked.

Vincent said she’d like to see police do more when it comes to investigating break-ins at small businesses.

According to the Saskatoon Police Service, three incidents have been reported at Vincent’s business, and two of the reports were followed up on by patrol officers.

Due to shifting schedules and a large file load, police said it is possible that officers haven’t had a chance to investigate the incidents further.