Vancouver's mayor says he wasn't behind push for $5-million DTES police crackdown

1 week_ago 11

British Columbia

How the Vancouver Police Department got the greenish airy for a $5-million run to trim transgression successful the Downtown Eastside — oregon if it needed it extracurricular support astatine all — continues to beryllium murky.

VPD committee seat not told of Task Force Barrage fund earlier announcement, starring to questions of process

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 24, 2025 10:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

No insubstantial way for $5-million VPD task force

New questions are being raised implicit however Vancouver's constabulary section got $5 cardinal for a crackdown connected the Downtown Eastside. Task Force Barrage was announced successful February, but the wealth was not authorized by council, and the constabulary committee seat said helium had nary beforehand announcement of it. As Justin McElroy reports, the deficiency of a insubstantial way has raised the ire of 1 councillor.

"Coun. Fry's insinuations that absorption for Barrage came from the mayor's bureau is false. To beryllium clear, Task Force Barrage is simply a VPD-led initiative that I afloat support," said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, successful effect to Coun. Pete Fry's filing of a state of accusation petition for much transparency connected the origins of the high-profile VPD campaign.

Fry filed the FOI after VPD Board Chair Frank Chong said the committee wasn't alert of Task Force Barrage until it was revealed successful a media announcement.

"We request to cognize that that authorization for constabulary operations is not coming retired of the backmost country successful the mayor's office," helium said.

"There seems to beryllium nary insubstantial trail."

While Sim said Barrage is simply a VPD-led initiative, successful April, the VPD characterized it arsenic a "joint inaugural by Vancouver Police and the Council". A VPD spokesperson said that was due to the fact that assembly had committed to backing the project — but nary ceremonial ballot has yet taken place.

As Justin McElroy reports above, the speech astir the connection is inherently tied to larger conversations successful Vancouver astir nationalist information and the VPD budget.