Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim unveils a multi-agency task force to address the escalating crime and violence plaguing the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. Task Force Barrage aims to target criminal networks, enhance public safety, and support vulnerable residents.
Vancouver 's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood is grappling with a ' humanitarian crisis ' of crime and violence that Mayor Ken Sim says has reached a tipping point. He unveiled a task force to combat organized crime , standing alongside Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer. Sim called it a 'long-term, sustained effort to disrupt criminal networks, hold offenders accountable and make our streets safer.
' The city announced Task Force Barrage, which will employ a multi-pronged approach involving police, fire, bylaw officers, sanitation crews, and engineering teams. The goal is to ensure sidewalks are clear and safe for residents, workers, and visitors. Sim emphasized that the current situation is unsustainable, stating that 'for years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into the Downtown Eastside, a small, four-square-kilometre area, without delivering meaningful, lasting change.' He believes Task Force Barrage represents a departure from past approaches. Sim claims the $5 million operation is the 'best investment' the city can make, arguing that failing to act would result in significantly higher costs down the line. Palmer detailed that 38 officers will be deployed to initiate Task Force Barrage, with an immediate increase in uniformed officers patrolling on foot in the Downtown Eastside. He outlined three core strategies: deploying officers on the streets, conducting more complex investigations to target crime, and strengthening community partnerships to enhance public safety. Palmer stressed that the primary focus is on 'chronic offenders, arresting people with outstanding warrants and people breaching their bail conditions, driving out drug traffickers linked to street violence and organized crime who prey on the most vulnerable members of our community.' He highlighted the disproportionate risk faced by Downtown Eastside residents, citing a crime severity index that paints a stark picture: Vancouver's index in 2023 was 97, Canada-wide it was 80.5, while in the Downtown Eastside it was a staggering 524. Sim acknowledged that addressing crime is not solely about public safety, emphasizing that 'this is a humanitarian crisis, and the situation in the Downtown Eastside has reached a tipping point. Today we take the first step towards ending the cycle of violence.
Crime Violence Downtown Eastside Vancouver Task Force Organized Crime Public Safety Humanitarian Crisis
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