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
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.