The countdown to the Vancouver civic election is on, and Daily Hive put the top mayoral candidates on the hot seat to see how they plan to address crime in the city.
Since the pandemic, there has been rising concern about violent stranger attacks, racially motivated attacks and crime in general.
This reality has made public safety a top voter issue.
Answers from leading mayoral candidates range from adding more police to the streets to increasing the number of social workers who could be made available to respond to calls.
Some have also suggested bringing VPD liaison officers back to schools.
Here’s what the top candidates had to say.
Ken Sim — ABC Vancouver
Ken Sim (ABC Vancouver)
ABC Vancouver candidate Ken Sim recently received a significant endorsement from the Vancouver Police Union.
Sim is also one of the candidates pushing to bring back the school liaison officer program.
“We need all of our leaders to step up,” Sim told Daily Hive.
“As mayor of Vancouver, I’m going to roll up my sleeves.”
He pointed to Chinatown as an example of how he plans to respond to the situation, which has been hit with many petty and violent crimes in recent months. Sim called it a “hotbed” for crime, and he plans to put a Vancouver Police office in Chinatown if elected.
Sim also said that ABC plans to invest in the VPD, which includes hiring 100 additional officers and 100 additional mental health nurses.
Colleen Hardwick — TEAM Vancouver
Colleen Hardwick. (City of Vancouver)
“A lot of it starts with the attitude towards the police.”
When we sat down with TEAM candidate Colleen Hardwick, she took aim at Mayor Kennedy Stewart and his relationship with the VPD.
“The current mayor, who’s the chair of the police board, has a very negative attitude towards the police.”
Hardwick wants to restore the police budget while adding new officers and support services.
“Ultimately, it all comes from the attitude at City Hall, and the police need to be supported,” said Hardwick, who doesn’t believe the police have been supported enough under the current regime.
TEAM also wants to increase support for community policing programs like Block Watch.
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Fred Harding — NPA Vancouver
Fred Harding (Social Trade Media Vancouver Video Production/YouTube screenshot)
Fred Harding’s background may prove helpful when discussing crime in the civic election.
Harding is a former member of the West Vancouver Police department and also worked in policing in the UK. Harding and NPA Vancouver have released a “comprehensive” public safety plan.
Harding and the NPA’s plans to address crime in the city include addressing issues related to the Downtown Eastside, like treatment and prevention services.
“Stranger attacks, crime, targeted crime, is absolutely my wheelhouse,” Harding told Daily Hive.
He calls what’s been happening in Vancouver a “crime surge.”
His party’s public safety plan includes reinstating the School Liaison Program, seeking federal funding to enhance the Organized Crime Section’s ability to respond, and ensuring police services have the necessary resources.
Mark Marissen — Progress Vancouver
Mark Marissen seen walking through Vancouver. (Progress Vancouver)
Mark Marissen told Daily Hive that police couldn’t address crime-related issues in Vancouver alone, including issues like rising crime in the downtown core and anti-Asian hate crimes.
He does state that police need to be adequately resourced, echoing the sentiments of other candidates.
“Right now, there’s a lot less people downtown than there used to be. That makes a big difference.”
To address that, Marissen wants to focus on a family-friendly downtown initiative to bring more people to the area and hire a commissioner to oversee nightlife downtown.
“A thriving downtown is a safer downtown,” Marissen said.
Progress Vancouver plans to work with BC’s Attorney General and Canada’s Justice Minister to keep prolific offenders off the streets. Progress Vancouver’s platform on crime also proposes protecting vulnerable women and fighting theft and property damage.
Kennedy Stewart — Forward Together Vancouver
Mayor Kennedy Stewart (@kennedystewart/Twitter)
Kennedy Stewart and Forward Together Vancouver recently unveiled their entire platform, including how they plan to address the rise of violent crime in Vancouver.
“Everybody needs to feel safe in Vancouver,” Stewart told Daily Hive. “This has been a huge priority for me.”
Some of the plans to address crime include creating an advisory committee to eliminate hate and creating an office for the nighttime economy with a focus on safety for women, Indigenous, Black and People of Colour, as well as LGBTQ2S+ residents.
Forward Together Vancouver plans to “fully fund” Vancouver Police Board budget requests.
“Where my opponents will fail is they say they’re going to cut services, and that’s a huge mistake. There’s no way we can arrest our way out of this either; we have to show compassion.”
“To tackle violent crime, we have supported and fully funded the Vancouver Police Department. However, there is still so much more that we need to do,” reads a statement from Forward Together Vancouver.
Social housing and addressing issues in the Downtown Eastside is also a key component of public safety in Vancouver for Stewart’s party.
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