Large police presence expected as Halloween crowds descend on downtown Vancouver

Vancouver police say party-goers can expect to see a lot of officers in the downtown core in anticipation of thousands of costumed revellers celebrating Halloween.

"There's extra calls. There's more disturbances in the street. There's more calls for service,” said Sgt. Steve Addison. “In the entertainment districts we do tend to see more disorder, more alcohol-fueled fights."

Addison said the Gang Enforcement Unit will also be out – and he asked that people use common sense when it comes to costume props that look like real weapons such as knives and guns.

"It's going to be alarming to people. It's going to cause concern. And it could cause someone to phone police believing that you've got a real weapon,” he said.

The bar industry is looking forward to the anticipated large crowds as the Saturday before Halloween is generally one of the busiest nights of the year.

"So, for folks in the hospitality industry, today is like Christmas, right?” said Jeff Guignard of the Alliance of Beverage Licensees. “It's one of our biggest, most exciting days of the year. We're still experiencing a lot of pent-up demand from the pandemic so we expect a lot of people out tonight."

In the time since pandemic restrictions were completely lifted in B.C., the bounce back for some bars and restaurants has been slower than others, leaving many businesses struggling to stay afloat.

"Fully half of B.C.'s hospitality industry is not making money right now. We're barely breaking even or losing money,” said Guignard. “So, an evening like tonight puts some cash in our coffers so we can keep going for the next couple of months."

Despite the unpredictable crowds, Guignard expects most people who head out to celebrate will have a safe night.

"We think it's going to be a really fun night,” he said. “And as I say, it could not come at a better time for our industry."