Vancouver police say they have set up a neighbourhood response team following its commissioning of a public survey that found heightened concerns on crime.
The survey found 78 per cent of respondents were concerned about crime in the city, the department said Monday.
Sixty-one per cent said they felt crime had gotten worse over the past year, with 29 per cent saying they felt it is the same.
More than one-third of respondents said they have changed their routines or behaviours because of crime, such as avoiding neighbourhoods like the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, Gastown, and the Granville entertainment district.
In response, the department said some officers and community safety personnel were redeployed earlier this month to respond more quickly to disturbances, suspicious circumstances, trespassing, and mischief.
The survey, which was conducted by Leger in October, spoke to 755 respondents, of which 48 per cent live in Vancouver, 28 per cent live and work in Vancouver, 13 per cent work or conduct business in Vancouver, and 11 per cent visit the city frequently.
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