WATCH: Vancouver Police Department’s annual safety fair

VANCOUVER, B.C. — The Vancouver Police says violence against women is on the rise.

At the department’s annual safety fair, participants learned from both the police and victims’ relatives about how to protect themselves over social media, where to go for help and what to do if attacked.

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“Assuring women that they can come to the police, that we will treat their cases seriously that they will have the right follow-up in terms of victims’ services, I think all of that encourages women to come forward,” said Chief Jim Chu, referring to the amount of unreported cases of sexual assault, domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women.

“It’s critical and it’s essential that we have these conversations and that we do all that we can as a community and that we work together,” Samantha Kearney, of the Battered Women’s Support Services, told Global News.