Vancouverites are not feeling very safe regarding public safety and their perception of the downtown core.
A poll done by Leger, a Canadian polling company, interviewed 650 Metro Vancouver residents both in Vancouver’s municipality and outside, regarding their thoughts on downtown safety and crime.
“All of us have seen the deterioration of the downtown core over the last three years,” said Steve Mossop, Leger’s vice president.
“We wanted to do a poll that looked at not only the perception of the downtown core but personal experiences as well.”
Nearly 80 per cent said they’re concerned with the current state of the downtown area, with 40 per cent of Vancouver residents saying they fear for their safety on a daily basis.
“The vast majority of Metro Vancouver residents (62 per cent) feel the downtown core closest to where they live has declined in the past year, and that violence and crime have gotten worse (71 per cent) compared to pre-pandemic,” Leger staff wrote in a report.
Survey participants also expressed that they are critical of the job law enforcement and governments are doing regarding these issues.
About 40 per cent said law enforcement is doing a poor to very poor job addressing crime and around 60 per cent said both provincial and federal governments are doing poor jobs as well.
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Nearly 50 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents, who were surveyed, said they are visiting downtown less often due to the perception of rising violence and crime.
Those that were polled were also asked about possible solutions to mitigate crime and violence.
Almost 80 per cent supported the notion of making punishments more tough for offenders through the criminal justice system, and 80 per cent also said downtown needs more mental health supports.
The poll took into account the surveyors’ age, gender and region when they were selected. It also held fieldwork from April 7-12, 2023.
“Overall perceptions of the decline of the downtown core, concerns about it and actual experiences with crimes and threats are significantly higher in Metro Vancouver compared to the rest of the country and highest among residents who live in the City of Vancouver,” Leger staff said.
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