Vancouver councillor calls for transparency from mayor over Downtown Eastside crime and drugs task force

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 20, 2025 6:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

A Vancouver metropolis councillor is calling for much transparency from the mayor's bureau aft it was revealed the Vancouver Police Board was not alert of a programme intended to curb transgression and unit successful the Downtown Eastside. 

In February, Mayor Ken Sim introduced Task Force Barrage, a "long-term cognition to dismantle organized transgression networks and people predatory criminals" successful Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The programme outgo $5 cardinal — connected apical of the Vancouver Police Department's fund of $453 cardinal for 2025.

As reported by CTV News Thursday, VPD Board Chair Frank Chong said the board wasn't alert of Task Force Barrage until it was revealed successful a media announcement. 

Chong described it arsenic a miscommunication with immoderate missteps, and that they're moving to amended processes. 

Speaking to CBC News connected Friday, Coun. Pete Fry said the aforesaid was the lawsuit for metropolis assembly — prevention for Sim and his ABC caucus. 

"I attended that aforesaid media league to find retired astir it astatine archetypal erstwhile the politician and his full ABC caucus arrived connected signifier to denote this cognition barrage," Fry said.

"I'm precise funny however this was authorized, what the connection signifier was, what are the objectives, what are the cardinal show indicators to warrant a $5-million expenditure that seems to person travel retired of the mayor's office."

The Green Party councillor said the announcement was a "complete surprise" astatine the time, adding that the B.C. Police Act specifies that immoderate changes to the board's fund indispensable beryllium agreed to by some the assembly and board.

"A assembly indispensable see successful its fund the costs successful the provisional fund prepared by the municipal constabulary board, arsenic adjusted to bespeak the following: (a) changes agreed to by the assembly and the board," reads Section 27.

Since the motorboat of the task unit successful February, the VPD has deployed further front-line officers to the Downtown Eastside area. Police said successful an update astir a period aboriginal that the initiative had contributed to a diminution successful street-level assaults and different convulsive crimes successful the area. 

WATCH | What interaction has the task unit had 1 period in?

During this Thursday's gathering with the constabulary board, VPD Deputy Chief Const. Howard Chow touted the program's effectiveness.

He said they've seized 962 weapons and 96 firearms — 16 of which were real, the remainder replicas — and that they've made 610 warrant arrests, with 341 caller charges to individuals. 

"This is what occurrence looks like," Chow said, adding the numbers lone amusement "one broadside of the story."

"It truly is the cognition of transgression and the sense of information down determination that's gonna truly people whether this was a occurrence oregon not for us."

Sim, who attended the committee meeting, applauded their work.

"I'm conscionable gonna talk from my bosom present — this is simply a no-brainer. It makes implicit sense," Sim told Chow. "Thank you precise overmuch for each of your efforts. You guys are making a immense difference."

Fry said helium acknowledges determination are superior issues astir transgression successful the Downtown Eastside and commended the VPD's work, but that helium chiefly takes contented with the deficiency of transparency and accountability astir the process. 

"Vancouver constabulary are being precise diligent and doing much thoroughfare enactment and that's great," helium said. 

"But we inactive request that clarity successful concatenation of command. We need to cognize that authorizations from the constabulary bureau are not coming retired from the backmost country of the mayor's office, but they're coming done the due channels, and there's due accountability."

Fry said he's besides filed his ain state of accusation petition to find retired who authorized the task unit and its budget.

Asked wherefore the police board wasn't alert of Task Force Barrage until it was announced, Sim said it was a substance of process.

"The VPD, they woody with their operational issues, and arsenic a board, the VPD board, they fundamentally reappraisal worldly and sometimes erstwhile there's connection challenges oregon whatever, you reassess and you amended them," Sim said.

"We're successful a changeless process of improving processes."