The number of anti-Asian hate crimes reported in Vancouver is dropping year over year after a shocking more than 700 per cent spike during the pandemic.
While Vancouver police say many of the attacks being reported don’t meet the criminal bar for hate crime charge recommendations, there is cautious optimism in Chinatown – where seniors have been targeted and victimized over the past two years.
At Kam Wai Dim Sum, owner William Liu said the seniors he serves are the cornerstone of the community.
“Throughout the past few years, for them to not be in Chinatown has taken such a huge toll on us.”
In recent months, Liu is encouraged to see his regular customers returning and more seniors on the streets – even socializing with their peers.
“I think they feel empowered by numbers,” said Liu.
“As the word gets out, I think more and more are coming out…they’ll ask is it safe in Chinatown, can I be out there.”
Vancouver saw anti-Asian hate crime incidents soar by 717 per cent during the pandemic – from 12 in 2019 to 98 in 2020.
Sixty-three incidents were reported in 2021 for a 36 per cent decrease year over year but the numbers still represent a 425 per cent spike since 2019.
“In light of what happened, hate crimes and the attacks, a lot of seniors feel less safe,” S.U.C.C.E.S.S. chair Terry Yung told Global News in an interview.
“A lot of them were targeted because of their age so they’re the least able to protect themselves.”
Yung said up to 3,000 low-income seniors live in and around Vancouver’s Chinatown.
Reported hate crimes in the neighbourhood dropped from fourteen in 2020 to four in 2021 and four in 2022 to date, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
Police say these are only incidents where there’s evidence to support the Criminal Code threshold for a hate crime, and they speak to lots of others who’ve been victimized by mischief and graffiti.
“People here feel like they’re being targeted,” said Sgt. Steve Addison.
But in many cases, investigators haven’t been able to confirm the crime was motivated by hate.
“It may not meet the legal threshold or the Criminal Code threshold to be proven as a hate crime in court.”
Criminal charges have been approved in two of the four alleged hate crimes reported this year.
On Feb. 4, police say offensive graffiti was scrawled on the Guardian Lions in front of the Chinese Cultural Centre. No suspect has been identified.
On May 15, a man was reportedly causing a disturbance and yelling racial slurs near Main and Pender streets. No victim was found.
On May 20, 44-year-old Patrick James Junior Duncan allegedly made racist comments to an 87-year-old man out for his morning walk on East Pender – and then bear-sprayed the Asian senior in the face.
Duncan has since been charged with assault with a weapon and was wanted on a B.C.-wide warrant until he was taken into custody and released on Sept. 30 on an order with no financial obligation.
On Aug. 5, police say a woman was starting fights near Main and Georgia streets, kicking and spitting on people and yelling racial slurs toward an Asian person.
Lynn Phyllis Thompson, 54, is charged with assault. Thompson declined to comment when reached by Global News.
“Upon conviction, it can be up to the courts to decide or determine whether or not a certain provision, a hate crime sentencing provision, should be imposed,” said Addison.
“If you walk around Chinatown you don’t see as many seniors today, then you know, pre-pandemic time,” Yung said.
While there’s still work to be done, merchants remain hopeful tourism and pedestrian traffic will pick up to help make everyone feel safe again in Chinatown.
“Even if we’re not back to where we were pre-pandemic, I think we are getting back there slowly,” said Liu.