Public safety trailer parked outside Chinese Cultural Centre to deter criminals targeting area: Vancouver police

Two photos posted to Twitter by the Vancouver Police Department show a public safety trailer deployed to Chinatown on April 17, 2023.

There’s a new feature in Vancouver’s Chinatown that police hope will curb rising rates of criminal activity in the area.

On Monday, the Vancouver Police Department announced it’s parked one of its public safety trailers outside the Chinese Cultural Centre in response to recent crimes targeting the building and surrounding neighbourhood.

The trailer consists of a tall pole with four security cameras arranged in a weathervane-like formation at the top.

“The cameras on the trailer are not monitored and are only reviewed in the event there is a serious crime,” a VPD spokesperson said in an email to CTV News.

Sgt. Steve Addison says that the force has a number of trailers, but the one in Chinatown is currently the only in use.

“In the past, we’ve placed trailers in places where there have been ongoing gang conflicts, violent street crime and other neighbourhood safety issues,” he explained.

Data provided by the VPD shows 273 crimes were reported in Chinatown to VPD between January and March 22, 2023—including two cases of arson.

In the weeks since, police have launched investigations into another two suspected cases of arson--both targeting the Chinese Cultural Centre.

“Given the impact the pandemic has had on crime trends and people’s behaviour, we typically look at 2019 as the most accurate baseline year to assess crime trends,” said Addison.

That year, a total of 1,440 crimes in Chinatown were reported to police—including 479 thefts from auto and 255 thefts of under or over $5,000.

Addison says the number of thefts—including those from vehicles—is on the downward trend since 2019, which police believe is likely a result of fewer people visiting the area in recent years.

However, this year there have been dozens of violent crimes reported—including at least 51 assaults, 10 robberies and 19 weapons offences.

There have also been at least two sex offences, three auto thefts, seven break and enters, 46 thefts of under or over $5,000, 57 thefts from auto and 76 reports of mischief, according to the VPD.