Main Street merchants are considering reducing their hours because groups of loiterers are hanging around doing nothing, swearing and hurting business.

At a Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce luncheon which included members of city council Tuesday, local businessman Rolf Hougen said Main Street merchants would like to see action taken against loiterers.

'Businesses on Main Street are very concerned and even considering not staying open to 9 p.m.,' Hougen said.

'There's a real problem with loitering, not only with youth, and they're using extremely foul language,' he said.

Hougen asked Mayor Bev Buckway if there was any way city council can do something about the groups of people who stand around Main Street swearing, spitting and smoking.

'Is there any way your bylaw officers could be moved to the evening to keep these people moving?' Hougen asked.

'Some of our visitors are even frightened away from street corners.'

Hougen said the business community is worried this could be a problem during the Canada Winter Games.

Answering questions on Buckway's behalf, city manager Dennis Shewfelt said the RCMP and not the city is the better agency to handle the issue.

'During the Games, our bylaw officers and our bylaw department will be dedicated to traffic. This is going to tax them in terms of time,' Shewfelt said.

'I will put a call into the staff sergeant of the RCMP. That to me would be the more appropriate authority,' he said.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Grant MacDonald said Wednesday officers can't do anything about loiterers unless they're breaking the law.

'What I can say is loitering isn't against the law,' MacDonald said.

If loiterers were committing illegal acts, he added, the RCMP could step in.

He said if businesses witnessed suspicious behaviour or things such as loiterers swearing, screaming, fighting, being drunk, molesting or impeding passersby, the RCMP could act.

'Those things are a criminal offence,' he said.

MacDonald said the RCMP do foot patrols in the summer months as the city's population grows with incomng tourists, and police are committed to a safe community.

Calls are answered, he added, based on the availability of resources and on a priority basis.