A new task force targeting organized crime and criminals in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is having success, according to police.
On Thursday, Vancouver police inspector and commanding officer of District 2 Gary Hiar said there is still much work to be done but he is seeing positive results.
Officers have seized nearly 200 weapons in just four weeks and are averaging seven arrests per day.
“The Downtown Eastside is a diverse community with complex public safety issues. Whenever issues are this complex, the answers are rarely simple,” said Hiar.
In February, “Task Force Barrage,” a $5-million strategy, was created by the Vancouver Police Department to restore safety by dismantling organized crime networks and targeting criminals in the Downtown Eastside.
During the last five weeks, additional front-line officers have been deployed to the area while other investigations have targeted drug traffickers and organized criminals. Police noted that street-level assaults and other violent crimes have since decreased.
Since the start of the task force, 197 weapons have been seized, including guns, tasers, prohibited knives and makeshift weapons.
Weapon seizures have increased 258 per cent in the area and assaults with a weapon are down 30 per cent compared to the previous four weeks when the task force was not in place.
Police have executed 153 arrest warrants and made 204 Criminal Code arrests, which averages seven per day. Assaults have decreased from four per day to three, on average.
Hiar said the task force is a sustained effort that builds on the work police were already doing.
“Deploying more officers to the areas most impacted by violence and crime has allowed us to take a more proactive approach in reducing crime while putting us in a position to make arrests when crimes do occur,” he said.
The task force is set to be in place for a total of six months, at which time the initiative will be re-evaluated, according to Hiar.
Police Chief Adam Palmer previously stated that the Downtown Eastside accounts for more than 30 per cent of violent crime in the city.
In 2024, VPD spent more than $2 million in overtime for officers to escort city crews who continue to clear the sidewalks along East Hastings Street to ensure it doesn’t become an encampment again.
