Vancouver mayor says the city is safe despite recent violent crimes
The mayor of Vancouver is reassuring the public the city is safe despite what appears to be a rise in violent crimes.
Kennedy Stewart was asked about his thoughts on public safety after the Vancouver Police Department released a video of another unprovoked attack in the city.
"I do think Vancouver is safe, it's one of the safest cities in the world," Stewart told reporters Wednesday.
The video showed a man lunging at, and grabbing a 22-year-old woman outside of the Hotel Georgia on New Year’s Eve. The woman was able to break free from his grasp and get the man off her.
Last year, the VPD reported that they were seeing four stranger assaults per day on average.
Stewart said he’s sympathetic to those who are victims of crime, but feels the city is doing enough to keep people safe.
"We spend over $1 million per day on policing in this city," Stewart said.
However, even the VPD admits these incidents have led to an erosion in confidence in public safety.
“Unfortunately these types of incidents are happening more and more in the city,” said Const. Tania Visintin of the Vancouver Police Department.
“Nobody should have to change where they walk.”
A recent SFU criminology study found that violent crimes increased slightly in poorer neighbourhoods like Downtown, Strathcona and Mount Pleasant during the first year of the pandemic.
While theft-related crimes went up in wealthier areas like Kitsilano, Kerrisdale, Oakridge and Killarney.
"The big story here is that the largely marginalized populations in Vancouver are suffering more as a result of their place in society," Martin Andresen, professor of criminology at SFU, told CTV News.
“What we argue in this case is that these areas need more social support.”
Andresen said while there has been an increase in crime in recent years, the city is still much safer than previous decades.
“Crimes been dropping in Vancouver since at least the early 2000s," he said.
“So these increases were seeing are from a much lower baseline.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion, 1 person seriously injured: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.