Many locally owned businesses, such as Navis Pack & Ship of Portland, have struggled in recent years in the city.
Michael Angelechio, the owner and proprietor of NAVIS Pack & Ship, stated, “It’s been difficult.” “The rate of crime has increased. Financially and emotionally, we are affected by this situation.
When you combine this with the increase in taxes and regulations, it makes it extremely difficult for a small business proprietor to turn a profit, as our margins are already quite slim.
Angelechio reports that catalytic converters, windshields, vehicles, and tools worth tens of thousands of dollars have all been stolen. They have resorted to parking their trailers and other vehicles inside the business, occupying valuable storage space and incurring monthly expenses of thousands of dollars.
Angelechio stated, “We have a small U-Haul operation that we are likely to shut down because vandalism and theft have rendered them inoperable.” “On Monday, I observed a man siphoning gasoline from one of the U-Hauls. I assume he bored a hole in it, rendering it inoperable.”
The individual fled, leaving behind a hose and a pail.
Angelechio stated, “We are receiving no assistance, and I believe this is the source of our ire.” “You can’t get a police response. You will wait on hold for hours only to be told to complete out a form online and pray for the best. That optimism is extinct. What do we do? Where shall we go?”
His message to the city is that the cost exceeds the amount allocated for repairs.
“Beyond the financial, it’s personal,” Angelechio said. “I’m working 50 to 55 hours per week just to make ends meet, and here are these people who, presumably, have nothing to lose and are prepared to steal everything from you.
For the welfare of our employees, we have charged and accessible Tasers. We must protect our employees and our enterprise, but we are receiving no assistance in doing so. It is not only us. I represent one of the thousands of local enterprises. If nothing is done, there will be no small businesses left.”
