Vancouver mayor reveals "Task Force Barrage" to tackle organized crime in DTES
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim announced a new initiative Thursday in partnership with the Vancouver Police Department to tackle organized crime in the Downtown Eastside.
The project is called Task Force Barrage, and Sim billed it as a way to “target predatory criminals” and “dismantle organized crime networks.” It will see more integrated response teams of police officers, firefighters, bylaw officers, sanitation crews, and engineering crews.
“The status quo in the Downtown Eastside isn’t working,” Sim said in a news release. “Organized crime, drug trafficking, and repeat offenders are preying on the most vulnerable, while everyday Vancouverites continue to see the impacts of crime.”
Sim hopes the additional police resources will make streets in Vancouver safer. He’s taking a funding request for Task Force Barrage to City Council later this year. There’s currently an ABC Party majority on Council, Sim’s own political group, meaning there’s a high likelihood the initiative will be approved.
The additional funding for police will put more officers on the streets and beef up existing efforts in the community.
“Policing alone isn’t the answer, but it is part of the solution. A safer Vancouver requires strong partnerships — between the community, law enforcement, mental health workers, and all levels of government,” Sim added.
Nicole Mucci, spokesperson for Union Gospel Mission, warned that efforts to reduce crime in the Downtown Eastside need to put the needs of residents first. She said the predatory nature of criminal activity is never acceptable but cautioned police and City officials to keep in mind that collateral trauma can affect vulnerable community members caught in the crossfire.
“The announcement of Task Force Barrage comes nearly two years after the decampments along East Hastings, which were also framed as an attempt to create a safer community,” Mucci said. “Unfortunately, violent crime and homelessness have not decreased significantly as a result of those decampments, and many in our community felt shoved aside and dehumanized in that process.”