Vancouver police say they’ve seized more weapons from the notorious tent city at Oppenheimer Park.
According to the VPD, a man was struck in the face with an axe handle early Tuesday morning.
He wasn’t seriously hurt, but while investigating, officers claim to have found a total of three axes, six knives, and one bolt cutter — all in the same tent.
“In the last week and a half we’ve seized more than 70 weapons from two separate tents,” said Sgt. Aaron Roed.
No one was arrested in the latest assault or seizure.
Early Wednesday morning, a tent near the southwest corner of the park burst into flames.
“The tent sustained severe damage, as the fire caused explosions from propane and aerosol containers,” said Roed, who added no one was hurt and no one claimed ownership of the tent.
Global News asked Roed why Vancouver police are reluctant to enforce an immediate clearing of the park.
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“This is still a community,” he said. “People still have their rights and inside of these tents is their homes. We’re not going to infringe on that and just barge in.”
With a lack of long-term housing options, it’s unclear where else they could go.
Wednesday afternoon, Roed took Global News on a walking tour of the Downtown Eastside.
He spent eight years on the beat here before moving to a media relations job with the force last year.
In spite of the well-documented struggles with crime and addiction, Roed sees signs of progress in the community.
“When I started with Vancouver police 20 years ago, the Downtown Eastside sprawled way past Cambie Street to the west. Now it’s a lot tighter, it’s a lot denser.”
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