Vancouver police task force shows signs of reduced crime in DTES, but some call for long-term fix
Police say assaults have decreased in the Downtown Eastside since launching Task Force Barrage last month
For the past year, Linda Ly has operated her nail salon, Onyx Aesthetics Studio, four floors above street level in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES).
She used to run her business out of a ground-floor studio on Abbott Street, but says she relocated after enduring repeated vandalism and harassment.
"We got broken into four times, and within a six-month span, we probably called the police over 100 times," she told CBC News.
"We are now upstairs ... [our clients] have to be buzzed in," she said of her new location on Carrall Street. The move has provided reprieve from vandalism, but Ly says she still witnesses the ongoing struggles in the neighbourhood.
Recently though, the business owner has noticed a change in the area.
"[It] used to be very chaotic, but in the last few weeks, I've noticed it's been pretty clean," she said, gazing down at the street from her studio's new vantage point.
Ly's observations align with the Vancouver Police Department's reports on the early success of its new Task Force Barrage. Police say the initiative, which began last month, aims to restore safety and address issues related to drug trafficking and organized crime in the Downtown Eastside — a neighbourhood that has long struggled with poverty, drug use and homelessness.
Positive results from increased police presence
Since the launch of the task force on Feb. 13, VPD has deployed additional front-line officers to the area, on top of the normal contingent of 60 officers already working in the neighbourhood.
According to the department's update this week, the new resources have contributed to a decline in street-level assaults and other violent crimes in the area.
"The number of assaults has decreased from four per day to three, and assaults with weapons have dropped by 30 per cent compared to the previous month," said Insp. Gary Hiar, the commanding officer overseeing policing in the DTES.
In the five weeks since the program was launched, police say the task force responded to a total of 4,760 calls for service in the DTES, an average of 170 calls a day.
"That's a 28 per cent increase from the previous four weeks prior to launching Project Barrage," Hiar said.
The task force has also seized 197 weapons, including guns, Tasers and knives, which marks a 258 per cent increase in weapon seizures compared to the previous month.
In addition, 153 arrest warrants were executed, leading to 204 criminal code arrests, averaging seven per day.
"Just last week when we ran our numbers, there were actually no robberies in the Downtown Eastside, so definitely some compelling numbers there," added Hiar.
Some warn of 'whack-a-mole' approach
The presence of more police officers patrolling the area has also been noticeable to other local business owners.
"There are a lot fewer drug dealers and less people buying stolen goods now. It's definitely quieter," said Greg Uyeda, co-owner of Aiyaohno Cafe on Carrall Street.
Yet, Uyeda fears the task force is merely offering a temporary fix, describing the effort as "security theatre."
"It's not a solution," he said. "It's just a bit of a Band-Aid."
That sentiment is echoed by Landon Hoyt, executive director of the Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association (BIA).
While Hoyt acknowledges the immediate effects of the task force, he believes the root causes of crime — such as the lack of mental health support and supportive housing — must be addressed for the effort to be truly effective in the long run.
"I would like to see additional resources put towards mental health and outreach workers to help support some of these people that really need it," Hoyt said.
Hoyt also expressed concern that the task force's work coincides with a city-wide freeze on new supportive housing projects in Vancouver, which he feels undermines the overall effectiveness of the initiative.
"We're doing one thing that is great … but also we're kind of shooting ourselves in the other foot," he said.
Hoyt also noted that while the task force has contributed to a decline in crime in the DTES, the BIA has been receiving increasing reports of assaults in the area of West Hastings Street, suggesting that the issue may be shifting rather than being solved.
"We're just merely kind of moving people around, and it's a bit of a whack-a-mole sort of game," he said.
Hiar acknowledged that while VPD's task force has made notable progress, there is still more work to be done.
"We've been very vocal about it, we can't do this on our own and, and we need community engagement," he said.
The police inspector said the task force will continue to work with business advocates, residents, social housing providers and other front-line workers for a more coordinated approach to address problems in the area.
According to Hiar, the task force is set to remain in the DTES for at least six months, after which it will be reevaluated.
"We will see how we progress further and we'll make those determinations again in the coming weeks and months," he said.
With files from Maryam Gamar, Leanne Yu and Shaurya Kshatri