Colleen Hardwick, the mayoral candidate for TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, released her party’s public safety plan ahead of the upcoming municipal election, slamming Ken Sim’s plebiscite while doing so.
“Ken Sim was elected four years ago promising to restore public safety. Now, weeks before another election, ABC is offering Vancouver a non-binding plebiscite,” said Hardwick in a release.
“Vancouverites don’t need another ballot question to tell us they want safe streets. They need a serious plan and a City Hall prepared to act.”
In August, the ABC Vancouver majority on Vancouver City Council approved Sim’s public safety plebiscite, which will ask Vancouver voters to weigh in on public hard drug use and establishing a major mental health and addictions treatment facility at the old St. Paul’s Hospital site.
What is TEAM’s plan?
TEAM’s plan has four components: a residents’ safety action plan, a community-first approach to policing, a violence against women prevention strategy, and a “new” approach to addiction.
“Keeping people alive is essential, but we cannot stop there,” Hardwick said. “People struggling with addiction deserve to recover, regain control over their lives and reconnect with their families and communities. And Vancouver residents deserve streets, parks and neighbourhoods that are safe, clean, and orderly.”
TEAM said its plan would allow for stronger enforcement in public spaces and for people to access treatment and recovery faster.
The residents’ safety action plan would target repeat offenders, not tolerate open drug use in shared public spaces, increase enforcement against street disorder, drug trafficking, and recurring property crime, as well as improve neighbourhood-level crime reporting.
TEAM said its community-first approach to policing would involve strengthening district policing, better coordination with neighbourhoods and businesses, and the creation of a victims’ response standard to improve communication after a crime is reported.
As part of its strategy to prevent violence against women, TEAM said it would establish a task force on intimate violence and strengthen victim services and risk assessment. It would also increase prevention education and appoint a “City Women’s Safety Lead.”
TEAM said it would focus on addiction recovery by expanding access to treatment and recovery-oriented housing, as well as create an “immediate treatment and recovery pathway” with Vancouver Coastal Health and work with the Province to expand detox, treatment, recovery, and secure-care capacity.
Further, TEAM said it would audit the Downtown Eastside to “improve accountability for public spending.”
What do the other major municipal parties have to say on public safety?
There are four other major contenders for mayor and council this election.
Rebecca Bligh, a current city councillor, is running for mayor under the Vote Vancouver banner. She shared the main pillars of her party’s platform last week, which didn’t include public safety.
Kareem Allam, mayoral candidate for the Vancouver Liberals, released a plan on Sept. 17, saying he would target Vancouver’s “Tony Sopranos” — meaning he intends to focus on high-level organized crime as well as street-level crime.
ABC Vancouver and incumbent mayor Ken Sim will reveal their election platform on Monday, Sept. 21.
Pete Fry, mayoral candidate for the Green Party, has also yet to release his party’s public safety plan.
Voting day is on Oct. 17.