In the past two months, armed robberies at corner stores and banks in Ottawa have jumped 50 per cent.
Although some criminologists link the spike to the economic downturn, police say they're not so sure.
"I really don't see the perpetrators of violent armed robbery as being victims of our economy," said Staff Sgt. Don Sweet.
But that doesn't soothe Alice Jadon, whose west-end family convenience store has been robbed four times in the last three weeks.
The store lost $12,000 in cash and goods as a result of the robberies and an employee has already quit in fear.
Now, as residents in the area try to reclaim their neighbourhood, Jadon is thinking about closing the shop and moving on. She say the danger to try to make a dollar, is just too high.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kate Eggins
