Police calls to Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood up in first six months of 2020

Vancouver police say calls for service to the Strathcona neighbourhood were up in the first half of 2020.

In that area, calls to police about weapons increased 50 per cent, while calls about break-ins rose 68 per cent. Reports to police about threatening behaviour increased 14 per cent.

“This is something we’ve talked about over the last number of months in and around Strathcona, as well as Yaletown, Chinatown — just a spike in crimes,” Deputy Chief Howard Chow said Thursday. “It’s a concern. We’re hearing it from residents, we’re hearing from merchants and business owners and we’re seeing it ourselves firsthand.”

Chow said more resources have been allocated to these areas.

With more than 400 tents estimated to be set up in Strathcona Park, homeowners have repeatedly called on the city and province to address the tensions in the area.

Residents have said verbal attacks and violent encounters are on the rise as those who frequent the tent city move through the surrounding streets.

Chow said after the decampment of Oppenheimer Park, some of the local hotels that were used to house the homeless, received an almost 400 per cent increase in calls for service by police.

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New crime statistics released by Vancouver police Thursday state violent crime across the city increased by 5.2 per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic, but property crime decreased due to a decline in break-ins to cars. However, break-ins to commercial properties increased significantly.

“We are very concerned about the increase in the most serious crimes across the city,” Chow said. “There was an increase in all areas of the city but areas like Strathcona, downtown, and Yaletown recorded high numbers.”

The report looked at citywide numbers from the first six month of 2020 and compared them to statistics from the same period last year.

Fewer cars on the road and parked downtown had a positive effect on the number of vehicle break-ins, Chow said.

Motor vehicles accidents attended by police declined 21 per cent and motor vehicle fatalities decreased from nine to three.

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Businesses were more vulnerable, however, as break-ins to commercial properties rose 47.9 per cent.

The increase in overall violent crime, 5.2 per cent, was driven by a 21.7 per cent increase in the most serious assaults, police said.