Public Disorder & the Decline of Vancouver's Livability

[whatnext]

Wow, what a great message this sends to tourists (and locals) when even your safety ambassadors aren't safe:

October 1, 2024
Statement on Weekend Incident Involving Downtown Van’s Safety Ambassadors

This past weekend, one of our Downtown Safety Ambassadors was physically attacked during a situation involving a man who was being aggressive towards members of the public. Despite our Ambassadors
maintaining a safe distance while calling 9-1-1, the individual continued to act aggressively before being apprehended by the Vancouver Police Department.

Thankfully our Ambassador received only minor injuries and will make a full recovery. We thank the Vancouver Police Department for their quick and thorough response to this incident.

Our Downtown Safety Ambassadors, who patrol 90 blocks of the central business district, are witnessing an alarming amount of hostility and aggression. While trained to de-escalate situations and provide a safe, visible, and hands-off presence, conditions in our district are changing and their work is becoming more difficult.....

https://www.dtvan.ca/wp-content/uploads/...ing-Downtown-Vans-Safety-Ambassadors.pdf

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Wow, what a great message this sends to tourists (and locals) when even your safety ambassadors aren't safe:

October 1, 2024
Statement on Weekend Incident Involving Downtown Van’s Safety Ambassadors

This past weekend, one of our Downtown Safety Ambassadors was physically attacked during a situation involving a man who was being aggressive towards members of the public. Despite our Ambassadors
maintaining a safe distance while calling 9-1-1, the individual continued to act aggressively before being apprehended by the Vancouver Police Department.

Thankfully our Ambassador received only minor injuries and will make a full recovery. We thank the Vancouver Police Department for their quick and thorough response to this incident.

Our Downtown Safety Ambassadors, who patrol 90 blocks of the central business district, are witnessing an alarming amount of hostility and aggression. While trained to de-escalate situations and provide a safe, visible, and hands-off presence, conditions in our district are changing and their work is becoming more difficult.....

https://www.dtvan.ca/wp-content/uploads/...ing-Downtown-Vans-Safety-Ambassadors.pdf

I suggest they patrol in groups of ten to remain safe.

[Burquitlaman]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Our Downtown Safety Ambassadors, who patrol 90 blocks of the central business district, are witnessing an alarming amount of hostility and aggression. While trained to de-escalate situations and provide a safe, visible, and hands-off presence, conditions in our district are changing and their work is becoming more difficult.....[/I]

https://www.dtvan.ca/wp-content/uploads/...ing-Downtown-Vans-Safety-Ambassadors.pdf

I know you highlighted this part, but I'm quoting you to highlight it more.

I go to Downtown once a week for work and I cannot wait to leave. I used to be the guy that dreamt about living DT. Our office is steps from Waterfront (for reference).

And it's not just about violence. Has anyone used the 501 Richards parking lot? From floor 3 to street level you are hit with an unbearable amount of urine and literal shit smell. I nearly puked the last time I was there and the elevator maintenance guy apologized to me for the broken elevator (I was using the stairs). Of course it's not his fault. And the elevator is barely better.

Once you leave DT for a while you realize how bad the area really is.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I suggest they patrol in groups of ten to remain safe.

Armed with clubs?

Jokes aside, I think we need beat cops or tourist police to take over their jobs. Dangerous bozos need to be tasered and handcuffed on the spot.

[jollyburger]

‘Prolific offender’ arrested after stealing VPD cruiser and driving it through park

A “prolific offender” who has more than 50 criminal convictions is in custody after stealing a Vancouver Police Department cruiser and driving it around a field Sunday.

The VPD says officers were flagged down just before 11 a.m. near East Hastings and Semlin Drive to help a woman in distress. When they got out of the vehicle to help the woman, the suspect got into the cruiser and drove it up onto a grass field at Templeton Park toward a group of families gathered where children were playing soccer.

“This reckless and criminal behaviour could have killed or seriously injured innocent people,” said Sgt. Steve Addison.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/10/06/vancouver-vpd-arrest-theft-cruiser-tempelton-park/

[logan5]

Vancouver - The no fun zone.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by logan5

Vancouver - The no fun zone.

Stealing cars is "fun"?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Stealing cars is "fun"?

You can't have fun sitting in a park without being worried about being run over by a VPD cruiser.

[MIPS]

It's that time of year again where the regulars are looking for an excuse to get six months or tough it out for the winter.

Solid game plan if you ask me.

[SpongeG]

The BC Conservative guy is wanting to change or change something about gun possession. It's been the day's topic on the radio, but much of what he is saying is completely at the federal level and not at the provincial level.

So one of the guests this morning said, so if guns are allowed so easily in BC what happens when all the gangs in other provinces find out and move here cause they can carry around their guns without repercussions. And now the police here are powerless to do anything about it.

[Burquitlaman]

I'm DT today (my work from office day). Arrive around 8:30, park the car in a public car park and as soon as I open the car park's door I see a guy kicking a store's window with all his might while screaming. Thankfully he gave up after 2-3 kicks and the window didn't shatter.

Maybe half the people on the street even gave a shit. Most just kept it moving without even looking at his direction

State of Downtown in 2024.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

The BC Conservative guy is wanting to change or change something about gun possession. It's been the day's topic on the radio, but much of what he is saying is completely at the federal level and not at the provincial level.

So one of the guests this morning said, so if guns are allowed so easily in BC what happens when all the gangs in other provinces find out and move here cause they can carry around their guns without repercussions. And now the police here are powerless to do anything about it.

They're going to start 3D printing them soon so RIP.

B.C. gangs getting more access to firearms — including deadly automatics, expert says

About a third of the illicit firearms recently seized in B.C. are homemade, Grosspietsch said, with another third — almost all of which are handguns — coming from the U.S. The rest are sourced domestically through so-called straw purchasers or acquired through theft.

Since the American states bordering B.C. closed gun-show loopholes in recent years — meaning purchasers now face background checks — firearms are mostly coming into Eastern Canada, then being shipped or brought to B.C.

“What we’re now seeing is the handguns that are coming into Canada … are coming out of Florida and that area and north and then also from Texas. We didn’t see that before because it was much easier just to go to the south of us here in B.C.” he said.

“I do know that a firearm that was recently seized — I cannot give you the specifics — was bought in Florida, and made its way up to Eastern Canada. And then it was in Western Canada in between 16 to 19 days. That’s quick,” he said.

Black market prices for firearms have increased dramatically over the past 20 years — from about $2,500 for a handgun in 2005 to about $5,000 in 2020 and now about $8,000 — even for the self-fabricated ones, he said.

Grosspietsch said that not all homemade firearms are 3D printed — they’re often a hybrid of self-fabricated parts — both plastic and metal — as well as purchased components.

https://vancouversun.com/news/crime/b-c-...-including-deadly-automatics-expert-says

[Vin]

Originally Posted by MIPS

It's that time of year again where the regulars are looking for an excuse to get six months or tough it out for the winter.

Solid game plan if you ask me.

Will indeed be funny if the Conservatives take over and increase their sentencing so that they get released in the midst of winter next year to freeze their butts off.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by Vin

Will indeed be funny if the Conservatives take over and increase their sentencing so that they get released in the midst of winter next year to freeze their butts off.

Haha yeah people freezing to death is really funny, good one.

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by Vin

Will indeed be funny if the Conservatives take over and increase their sentencing so that they get released in the midst of winter next year to freeze their butts off.

Yeah I doubt they'll be changing much. Even Riverview is multiple election cycles away from resuming full operation. Like I mentioned years back, no political party dares to reopen "the farms". Political suicide.

[jollyburger]

Welcome to Vancouver

A suspect has been arrested and charged after an allegedly unprovoked attack on a woman visiting Vancouver.

Vancouver police say the 35-year-old victim was walking near the cruise ship terminal at Canada Place around 9 a.m. Sunday, when she was assaulted by a stranger.

“She was repeatedly punched and kicked in the face, and sustained multiple injuries that required medical attention at hospital,” police wrote in a news release Tuesday.

The suspect and victim did not have any interaction before the assault, which several people witnessed, police said.

After collecting video of the suspect at the scene, the Vancouver Police Department says a canine officer and police dog arrested him around 12:30 p.m. at a residential building in Chinatown, near East Pender and Columbia streets.

Massimo Rosario Falvo, age 30, has now been charged with aggravated assault and remains in custody.

Online court records indicate Falvo has three previous assault convictions, from June 2022, October 2023 and November 2023.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/tourist-attacked-b...-terminal-vancouver-police-say-1.7074764

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Welcome to Vancouver



https://bc.ctvnews.ca/tourist-attacked-b...-terminal-vancouver-police-say-1.7074764

This kind of stuff will keep happening until it damages Vancouver's tourism brand unless we stop coddling the nutcases who do it.

How long will our "justice" system take to deal with that asshole who hacked off someone's and and killed someone else?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

This kind of stuff will keep happening until it damages Vancouver's tourism brand unless we stop coddling the nutcases who do it.

How long will our "justice" system take to deal with that asshole who hacked off someone's and and killed someone else?

Seven weeks ago on Instagram

"3 Years Probation — For 4 separate assault charges — Im lucky I didn’t go to Jail"

https://www.instagram.com/baby.capone.csl/

[Vin]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Haha yeah people freezing to death is really funny, good one.

People?

Oh yeah, better than thinking how funny it is for these "people" to be out robbing, assaulting or mudering innocent folks.

BTW, there are shelters in Canada for such "people" during winter. They can choose not to freeze to death.

[Burquitlaman]

As I reported last week, I visit Vancouver once a week to meet my minimum mandatory work from office requirement. Last week I wrote about the guy Bruce Lee-ing some shop's window. Yesterday did not disappoint either. On my way trying to navigate Gastown area traffic at 8:45 am I saw a young woman and an older dude engaged in a tug-of-war over a backpack. She looked stressed.

I didn't act because there were a ton of people around and tbh being in a car and driving by, this could have been the usual Downtown Vancouver shit show between two addicts.

Can't wait for next week's episode.