Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan says the city will put half a million dollars into police funding for road closures to curb rowdyism on the Granville Street entertainment strip.
Sullivan says police have closed the street in the past to deal with public disorder on specific nights when the numbers of people at bars on the strip have been high.
"I came down here twice to observe the outcome and I was very impressed," Sullivan said. "It completely changed the street scene. It completely relaxed and reduced the disorder that was present in other nights."
The city is also advocating the use of controversial software which records the identificaton of people entering clubs in an attempt to cut down on gang activity.
Coun. Kim Capri said a motion to institute the ID scanning system has been delayed in the wake of a complaint to the province's privacy commissioner.
She said the system will allow for greater control of who enters nightclubs such as known gang members and criminals.
"Because of this complaint, that whole system is in jeopardy," Capri said.
She wants council to approach the solicitor general and the privacy commissioner "to take a positive stance" and support the system.
The moves come as concern about gang activity in the city remains high.
Suspected gang activity has left a number of people dead in shootings in the past year.
Last September, a 34-year-old man was found shot dead in his SUV outside an East Vancouver high school.
Police said he was known to them and the attack didn't appear to be random.
Two people eating in an Italian restaurant in trendy Kitsilano were wounded by a gunman shooting through the window earlier that month.
Another restaurant shooting August 9 in the midtown area left two people dead and two others wounded.
