Mayor, Vancouver Police Announce Task Force Targeting Organized Crime

(Image courtesy CBC)

The City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) have launched a new initiative aimed at dismantling organized crime networks and addressing public safety concerns in the Downtown Eastside and other areas.

Mayor Ken Sim and VPD Chief Adam Palmer announced Task Force Barrage on Thursday, describing it as a long-term effort to target organized crime and increase police presence in high-crime areas. The initiative will also expand community partnerships in an effort to improve public safety.

“The status quo in the Downtown Eastside isn’t working,” Sim said. “Organized crime, drug trafficking, and repeat offenders are preying on the most vulnerable, while everyday Vancouverites continue to see the impacts of crime.”

The initiative builds on existing police efforts, including Integrated Response Teams (IRT), which bring together VPD, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS), bylaw officers, sanitation crews and engineering teams. The task force will also continue Project Brighthaven, which increased police presence in Gastown as part of revitalization efforts.

Palmer said the VPD is committed to working with the community to address safety concerns.

“We will always have empathy and compassion for people whose life circumstances have brought them here,” Palmer said. “Our priority is, and will always be, to focus on violent criminals and drug traffickers who commit crime and victimize others in the community.”

Since taking office, Sim and city council have funded the hiring of 200 new police officers and 35 mental health workers, introduced an Indigenous Crisis Response Team and secured funding for youth violence prevention. City officials say these measures have contributed to a decline in violent and property crime.

A funding request for Task Force Barrage is expected to go before city council later this year. The city and VPD say they will provide regular updates on the initiative’s progress.