Why stranger attacks in Vancouver are actually on the decline

Good morning,

There’s still time to take our end-of-year survey. A big thank you to over 300 of you who completed it, I’ve already gotten so many good ideas from all of you. Really excited about what we have in store for 2024 and beyond. 

Take the survey.

In today’s newsletter, we’ve got:

• A big story on the police’s stranger attacks data

• Big changes potentially coming to the Downtown Eastside

• And some events to check out this week.

Let’s get to it.

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor

Editor’s note — In Friday’s edition I said a crane collapsed which caused people to be injured at a workplace. It was actually a scaffolding collapse and the crane was used to save them. The Lookout regrets the error.

If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.

WEATHER

Monday: 8 🌡️ 1 | 🌤️

Tuesday: 7 🌡️ 1 | 🌤️

Wednesday: 7 🌡️ 1 | 🌤️

PUBLIC SAFETY

Stranger attacks on the decline

What happened: It was called the defining public safety issue in 2022 by the BC public safety minister. But it turns out the stranger attack numbers in Vancouver were not as big as the public was led to believe, according to CTV.

• Data uncovered by the broadcaster shows that stranger attacks plummeted from 4.5 a day in 2021, just after the pandemic, to 1.8 per day in the first half of 2022, followed by a decline to 1.1 in the first half of this year. 

Background: A report presented to the Vancouver Police Board meeting last Thursday noted that the likely cause of the initial rise was because of the effects of COVID, with fewer people walking around resulting in “increased opportunities for violence” according to Global. The board also suggested it may be because fewer people were held in custody during the pandemic. 

• Oopsie?: Police continued to share data with reporters that stranger attacks were still a major problem well into September 2022, where they said four random attacks were happening every single day, which was not true according to the data. 

The police response: The VPD told CTV they were trying to make this data public. CTV reported they could not find any record of that last or this year. The police also said the hiring of new police officers this year has helped fix the problem. 

Why does it matter: As noted by former Harper public safety advisor Benjamin Perrin, it’s not a great look for the police.

It also raises questions about police transparency according to Simon Fraser University professor of criminology Martin Andresen. He told CTV he believes the numbers were used by VPD to take advantage of the situation and increase their police budget. 

Fun fact: This also comes as the police just secured a record-breaking salary increase, making them the highest-paid police department in Canada, according to Business in Vancouver. 

The police budget is set to be $440 million this year, representing almost 19 percent of the city’s budget of $2.15 billion, if approved by council, according to the Vancouver Sun.

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VANCOUVER NUMBERS

💰️ $31 million: The amount of money laundered by a Vancouver lawyer, who hid the money from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for his clients. The lawyer was disbarred by the Law Society of British Columbia. [CTV]

🚌 21.04 million: The amount of transit journeys on TransLink in September, up 13.7 percent from 18.5 million in 2022. Metro Vancouver’s transit system continues to rebound faster than anywhere else in Canada. [Business in Vancouver]

🚢 $66,000: The amount it cost the city of Vancouver to remove the barge at Sunset Beach. They say the barge owner, Sentry Marine Towing, should pay the cost. [Global]

CITY HALL

Downtown Eastside transformation incoming?

What’s happening: The Downtown Eastside could look a lot different in the coming years if a new motion by ABC councillor Coun. Rebecca Bligh passes, including huge changes to SROs and an expansion of development in the area, according to the Vancouver Sun.

Background: Bligh notes in her motion that only two housing projects have been built in the area since council passed the Downtown Eastside Plan in 2014, a paltry number given the need for housing in the area. The policy required a 60/40 social housing to market rentals. 

The plan: The policy would alter the 60/40 makeup of new housing to get more built, and speed up the redevelopment of existing SRO stock, many of which are in terrible repair. It would seek a partnership between different levels of government to fund this and coordinate more. 

• The city could also set up a “preemptive right” by-law which would give the city priority to purchase lands for creating affordable housing, something that Montreal implemented in 2020 according to the Vancouver Sun. 

Not just housing: The policy would also explore ways to create more below-market commercial spaces and programs, which is key considering the cost of commercial space in the city. It would also help give jobs to people in the area.

Those opposed: The executive director of SRO Collaborative told the Sun she worried that opening up zoning to market condos could rapidly drive up the prices of land. Though, she also told the Globe and Mail that this policy, without the increase of market condos, could be a net positive for the area, including better collaboration with different levels of government. 

• Bligh told the media that the plan is not to open up the area to prove developers but balancing the different types of housing more effectively, according to the Globe.

What it means: This follows an increasing trend in BC recognizing that too many restrictive zoning laws are not getting things built, like the province upzoning all single-family land. With a majority of council, the mayor’s ABC Party has an opportunity to reshape the Downtown Eastside. With little progress in the area in the last five to 10 years, it’s clear something needs to change. 

• Dig deeper: You can read the entire motion here. 

What’s next: The policy will be debated this Wednesday.

NEW JOBS

Discover your dream job in Vancouver:

1. Vice president, brand management at Arc’teryx

2. Director of marketing at Creator.co

3. Art director at Duer

4. Associate director, advancement at Vancouver Community College

5. Director, Cops for Cancer at Canadian Cancer Society

6. Director of development at Atira

Local jobs are selected by the Lookout team and are not paid ads, unless specifically noted.

THE AGENDA

🌫️ Be careful out there. The fog may be so bad this morning, you might not be able to see anything. [CityNews]

🔥 A house fire near Memorial South Park on Saturday evening has left five people without a home. The cause of the fire is unknown. [CityNews]

🐕 Dog owners rejoice. West Vancouver city council has voted to reduce restrictions on the Seawalk, meaning your dog can now walk with you. [Global] 

🌊 You may notice some sandbags going up at Vancouver beaches in Kitsilano. It’s part of a plan to prepare for king tide season, with water levels rising more than a metre. This can often happen at least once a week in the winter. [CityNews] 

💰 It’s so expensive in BC that many newcomers are leaving. In Canada, between 2017 to 2019, the number of recent immigrants leaving was 31 percent higher than the normal average. [CTV]

🚲 A cyclist is suing the city of Vancouver after she hit an obstacle meant to direct bikers into a different lane. She says it was dark out and wasn’t clearly lit. [Business in Vancouver]

❌ Heads up to all you Seawall fans. It will be closed between Third and Second Beach for slope remediation from today until Dec. 1. [Twitter]

EVENT GUIDE

Woo Hoo! Classic Simpsons Trivia | The Anza Club | Nov. 28, 7 pm | Trivia from seasons 1-9 (the best seasons) Tickets $6

Youth Bike Club (Grades 8-12) | 2429 Main St. | Tuesdays, 4 pm all December | Bring your kids out to learn bike mechanics and explore Vancouver on group rides | Free

SURVEY

Only a few days left…

Have you ever wanted to shape the direction of local news in Vancouver?

Well, here’s your chance — our year-end survey is your opportunity to tell us what stories you want covered, the topics you care about and maybe even what restaurants we should review.

Your answers help shape our plans for 2024 and beyond here at the Lookout.

Take a mintue today to complete the survey and help improve local news in Vancouver.

EXPLORE VANCOUVER

Every so often we’ll highlight one interesting thing locals can do in Vancouver. This isn’t listicle content or tourist traps, but something fun and enriching you can do.

If you ever had an itch to scratch, and that itch is art, Emily Carr offers numerous continuing studies courses each semester to explore the artist in you. From art, to film, to writing, there’s numerous options with late evening classes. One of the best courses I took was a modern art class! 

Have your own suggestion? Reply to this email and we’ll include it next time 

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• There’s a new documentary out about MuchMusic premiering at Vancouver’s Playhouse. [CBC]
  If you’re a train fan, you’ll love this video update on the Broadway Subway construction. [YouTube]

• Emily Carr is hosting their first graffiti class with Smokey D. [Vancouver Sun]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

GAME TIME

Congrats to everyone who guessed Friday’s Wordle. The answer was budget.

Today’s quiz question — how many stranger attacks per day were there from January to June? It’s easy if you read the newsletter!

Reply with the correct answer and your name to be featured.