As the tourism season approaches, the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce has released a survey to determine the effects crime and vandalism have had on local business.

"We're talking about panhandling, the effects of vandalism, drunkenness and the effect it is having on our tourism base,” chamber president Rick Karp, told the Star Tuesday.

The issue came to the attention of the business community after some members received complaints that Whitehorse had been highlighted on several travel review sites for its problems with public drunkenness and vandalism, said Karp.

"I can't speak to a specific occurrence,” he said. "But people have been approached for money, especially in the Third Avenue and Main Street area, and some have been shoved as well.”

Karp wasn't able to identify which sites had mentioned difficulties in downtown Whitehorse.

The survey has already been receiving more anonymous responses than the chamber expected.

"The survey went out (last) Friday, and already we have had 75 to 80 responses,” said Karp. "About 60 per cent of businesses here have had problems.”

It's an issue of growing concern, not only for the business community, but for the community as a whole, said Karp.

"It's a major problem for Whitehorse,” he said. " The idea of slippage, shoplifting, vandalism. The city spends tens of thousands of dollars per year fixing the effects of vandalism in places like the park at the end of Main Street, schools with broken windows, things like that.

"And it's a multimillion-dollar problem for businesses as well.”

The chamber has had four meetings so far to address the issue. They have been attended by representatives of the RCMP, the Salvation Army, business representatives, as well as the local youth organization, Bringing Youth Toward Equality.

"The meetings have been extremely well-attended,” said Karp. "People have started to come out and talk about their frustrations, what can be done, what can't be done.”

One potential option includes working with the city to determine new bylaws, which could help curtail things like public drunkenness, said Karp.

The chamber has also re-released a 2007 document entitled Who's minding your business?

It provides a checklist for business owners, outlining the potential risks to their businesses and how to address them.

They have also requested that businesses with video surveillance systems identify themselves so their equipment may be relied on to provide information for the police.

Finding a solution, however, may require more than added security and legislative change.

"This type of behaviour is reflective of a social problem,” said Karp.

"There is a lot of opportunity for groups like the Department of Health and Social Services, social services, drug and alcohol treatment services and various NGOs to identify what is necessary and what is and is not possible here.”

It's a change Karp believes is needed immediately.

"We walk downtown and we see it, but we don't do anything about it,” he said. "It's time to do something.”