It took an extended session, but Vancouver City Council passed a motion Wednesday morning to further punish people who fight in public.
The motion was submitted by Non-Partisan Association Coun. Melissa De Genova on Feb. 13.
While the city has an existing bylaw against brawling in public spaces, the motion passed today argued people fined for fighting were unlikely to pay, as "ramifications are minimal."
De Genova would instead have unpaid fines limit brawlers from renewing or buying motor vehicle insurance in B.C., or renewing their driver's licenses and B.C. ID cards.
"It's unfair to them as it is to our taxpayers that they are paying for this," De Genova told CTV News.
The councillor's motion cites Vancouver Police Department data, revealing almost two-thirds of people arrested for fighting in the Granville Entertainment District on Friday and Saturday nights live outside Vancouver city limits.
"Someone comes into Vancouver, uses these resources possibly hurts and assaults another person or a number of individuals, and then turns around and walks out of the city," she said.
The motion states that marginalized individuals like the homeless and those with mental illnesses are not typically issued fines for fighting.
Staff are expected to report their recommendations by the end of 2019.
