Public Disorder & the Decline of Vancouver's Livability

[jollyburger]

Vancouver police say a man has been arrested and charged after a suspect pointed what appeared to be a gun at two different people and assaulted one of them.

Police say two women were getting out of a ride-share in the area of Powell Street and Heatley Avenue Thursday around 2:30 p.m. when they were approached by a stranger.

The man allegedly pointed the gun at one of the women’s heads, and made a comment about her being a VPD officer — which she is not.

The suspect left and the women called 9-1-1.

The VPD says a short time later, a man was assaulted at a nearby bus stop, with the suspect pointing a gun at the victim’s face. Police did not elaborate on the extent of any injuries the man suffered, if any.

“As a precaution, police deployed additional armed officers at all VPD buildings while officers searched for the suspect,” police explained.

A man was arrested about an hour later, around 3:45 p.m., in the area of Hastings and Gore streets.

Vancouver police say 31-year-old Korey Muskett has been charged with various offences, including assault with a weapon, using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence, and assault.

According to the VPD, the man remains in custody until his next court date.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/0...t-gun-assault/

Abbotsford Most Wanted (far left)

Name: Muskett, Korey

Born: July 12, 1992

Age: 24

Height: 6'3" (190cm)

Weight: 180 (81kg)

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

Marks: Tattoo of Skeleton lt4arm

Wanted: Assault Bodily Harm, Assault, Forcible Confinement

Warrant in Effect: Oct 26, 2016

https://www.abbynews.com/news/crimes...wanted-1755336

[Vin]

For those advocating drug use decriminalization as a great idea and used Portugal and Oregon as awesome examples, I would like to hear from you on this regard:

Once hailed for decriminalizing drugs, Portugal is now having doubts
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...-heroin-crack/

Oregon’s pioneering drug decriminalization effort faces rollback
https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...tion-fentanyl/

From this:
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/0...tugal-00148872

Oregon Sen. Tim Knopp, the Republican minority leader, called the idea underlying the decriminalization movement — that people will seek treatment on their own — a fantasy and rejected the argument that the policy needed more time to show results.

“The only thing that was happening with more time is our overdose deaths were on a skyrocketing trajectory,” he said.

Knopp’s advice to other jurisdictions: Get tough on drugs, while building treatment infrastructure.

“The new compassion can’t be that we’re going to let people die more slowly,” he said.

Democrats increasingly see things similarly. Tough-on-drugs policies are taking hold again in Democrat-led cities.

Voters in progressive San Francisco earlier this month approved a proposal by Mayor London Breed to screen and mandate addiction treatment for people receiving welfare.

Washington, D.C., revived a 1990s law allowing the police to designate drug-free zones for up to five days to stop drug trafficking and loitering.

And states, including California, have passed or are considering laws increasing penalties for fentanyl dealers.

If “people feel like public order and public safety are deteriorating around them, you will lose the citizenry and you will lose the politicians,” said Brandon Del Pozo, an adjunct professor teaching international drug policy at Georgetown University.

“Nationwide now, decriminalization is going to be off the table for a while,” he said.

Of course, here in BC, we are just sheep following what others do......so expect another half to a year or so and I think NDP will also change the course on this as well.

[Metro-One]

A lot of European nations and other areas of the world are now putting the breaks on the more wacky far left ideas (gender affirming care in kids, open drug use, etc…) But Canada seems to have yet to get the memo, and is tripling down on very flawed ideas.

Canada’s MAID program is now frequently being used as a cautionary tale of a slippery slope in other nations where the assisted suicide debate has surfaced. Another extremely flawed program that started with good intentions, but has now gone too far and will take the focus and research away from treatment to the easy way out. From soldiers with PTSD to people with depression now, awful program.

It’s actually sad how much Canada has fallen in the last decade relative to its peer nations.

The worst affordability, the lowest production per capita among the G7, the worst performing health care system now of the G7 per dollar spent, and of course the drug epidemic. The. There is the humiliating things like being left out of the military pact between Japan, the US and Australia.

And these stats are also being reported in left leaning media organizations too, so it’s not a right wing conspiracy.

In general when I moved to Japan 11 years ago Canada and Australia seemed to be on equal footing regarding general knowledge and positive reception. Over the last few years I have personally witness Canada fall by the wayside and Australia’s presence increase dramatically.

And you can’t blame the pandemic on this! Because the pandemic was everywhere and this is all our performance relative to our peers.

[Migrant_Coconut]

The fact that Vancouver's current detox centre is full is proof enough that many drug users will willingly quit on their own. We need the bigger facility built yesterday.

[Metro-One]

For clarity I am actually for a safe drug supply, but it must be couple with a complete ban (that is enforced) on open drug use in public. No more junkies shooting up in parks and alleyways. You use the drugs at the facility. And only such official facilities. No morons with mobile vans going around with their “safe” drug supplies who then ironically die of an OD themselves.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

A lot of European nations and other areas of the world are now putting the breaks on the more wacky far left ideas (gender affirming care in kids, open drug use, etc…) But Canada seems to have yet to get the memo, and is tripling down on very flawed ideas.

Canada’s MAID program is now frequently being used as a cautionary tale of a slippery slope in other nations where the assisted suicide debate has surfaced. Another extremely flawed program that started with good intentions, but has now gone too far and will take the focus and research away from treatment to the easy way out. From soldiers with PTSD to people with depression now, awful program.

Very little in your comment has anything to do with public disorder as it relates to liveability in Vancouver. Your understanding of MAiD in Canada is entirely inaccurate. Currently, unlike countries like Belgium or the Netherlands, mental disorders including PTSD or depression do not allow individuals to access MAID.

PTSD is commonly associated with higher rates of suicide by former soldiers, and members of the police force, which is almost certainly a much greater problem than any future potential for accesssing MAiD. In Belgium and The Netherlands, less than 2% of those seeking MAiD had solely mental health reasons, and studies found that middle-aged and elderly women with depression comprised the majority of these requests.

[jollyburger]

Victim was Indo Canadian again.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has been deployed after one man was found dead on the waterfront of White Rock, B.C., on Tuesday, according to police.

White Rock RCMP says it received a report of a man suffering from apparent stab wounds around 9:30 p.m. PT in the 15400-block of Marine Drive, a few blocks east of the White Rock Pier.

Staff Sgt. Rob Dixon said the man died at the scene. While officers arrived at the scene within minutes of the report, they couldn't find the suspect, Dixon said.

The suspect is described as a Black man who is five feet, 11 inches tall. Police say he was wearing a hat and a grey hoodie, and his hood was pulled up over the hat.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...cide-1.7183120

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Victim was Indo Canadian again.



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...cide-1.7183120

The fact that the police released a racial description of the suspect indicates how seriously they're taking this, as generally they don't do that anymore. It seems like random attacks on Indo-Canadians.

[kja384]

Scary stuff! Like any reasonable person the mayor is saying to exercise extreme caution, while the RCMP is saying there's nothing to worry about.
I also thought it was odd how they originally didn't include race in the earliest publications and added it a bit afterwards, I hope it wasn't intentional. At least they said Black and not "dark skinned" like Vancouver lol.

If anyone was curious, here is Vancouver & Surrey's racial arrest data. Page 40-46 and 97-101. This is arrests only, not street checks/detainment.
https://bchumanrights.ca/wp-content/...statistics.pdf

It's pretty insane how Black people barely have a history in Surrey and are all new immigrants, yet have the highest arrest rate.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by kja384

Scary stuff! Like any reasonable person the mayor is saying to exercise extreme caution, while the RCMP is saying there's nothing to worry about.
I also thought it was odd how they originally didn't include race in the earliest publications and added it a bit afterwards, I hope it wasn't intentional. At least they said Black and not "dark skinned" like Vancouver lol.

April 22

The suspect is described as a black male, wearing a ball cap and a grey hoodie.

[jollyburger]

Strange the VPD release doesn't name the person even after charges were laid. It also says the person was a "she" but the Global article refers to the person taken into custody as a man.

A disturbing incident happened in Vancouver on Thursday where police said a mother was breastfeeding her baby in an SUV when they were attacked by a stranger.

Vancouver police said a mother, her husband, their baby boy and another family member were sitting in a vehicle on Commercial Drive, near East 2nd Street, when a stranger opened a door and got into the vehicle around 2:15 p.m.

The stranger tried to grab the mother and the infant in the back seat, according to Sgt. Steve Addison.

“The mother, a woman in her 30s from Vancouver, screamed, held onto the baby, and attempted to fight off the (person),” Addison said.

A witness also captured a video of a shirtless, shoeless person being escorted into the back of a police van.

Later Friday morning, Global News learned 26-year-old Nathaniel Francis Beekmeyer was charged with assault.

https://globalnews.ca/news/10487540/...cked-stranger/

Man accused of threatening people with hammer outside B.C. Cancer Agency

Police have arrested a man accused of threatening two people with a hammer outside the Cancer Agency building in Vancouver.

Investigators said the man approached the victims as they were exiting the building around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The two people retreated inside the building and called police.

Officers arrested a 44-year-old man who is known to police. He has been charged with assault with a weapon and remains in custody.

https://globalnews.ca/news/10486600/...cancer-agency/

[s211]

Just a couple of days downtown, I saw homeless people wearing security jackets. What, giving them construction vests wasn't enough to disguise them? I'd love to know which advocacy is handing security jackets out. What's that supposed to accomplish?

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by s211

Just a couple of days downtown, I saw homeless people wearing security jackets. What, giving them construction vests wasn't enough to disguise them? I'd love to know which advocacy is handing security jackets out. What's that supposed to accomplish?

I hear ya, the other day I seen a couple people in security vests run out of a grocery store with a bunch of stuff in their arms. They were clearly shoplifting as they weren't chasing anyone, and slowed to a walk once they got around the block.

Granted this was in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, but I guess Vancouver's criminal advocacy groups know no borders... well that or maybe these problems are far bigger than one city. Sometimes the explanation isn't a larger conspiracy, but just that desperate people do desperate things.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

I hear ya, the other day I seen a couple people in security vests run out of a grocery store with a bunch of stuff in their arms. They were clearly shoplifting as they weren't chasing anyone, and slowed to a walk once they got around the block.

Granted this was in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, but I guess Vancouver's criminal advocacy groups know no borders... well that or maybe these problems are far bigger than one city. Sometimes the explanation isn't a larger conspiracy, but just that desperate people do desperate things.

And I just saw it again this morning at the Save-On at Cambie and 7th. Guy bolts out the door with an overflowing hand basket and a black "security" jacket. I catch the eye of another customer and we're both WTF. Mention it to a staff person near the door and got the usual shrug.

I should start a lottery: how many of these vests were handed out by Pivot?

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by s211

And I just saw it again this morning at the Save-On at Cambie and 7th. Guy bolts out the door with an overflowing hand basket and a black "security" jacket. I catch the eye of another customer and we're both WTF. Mention it to a staff person near the door and got the usual shrug.

I should start a lottery: how many of these vests were handed out by Pivot?

I could be wrong, but I don't think Pivot has a branch in Moose Jaw.

Then again, there was a flat earther protestor at the airport when we flew back, so I guess conspiracy theories aren't uncommon there either.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by s211

I should start a lottery: how many of these vests were handed out by Pivot?

Why not call them and ask them instead of making baseless accusations? Here's their contact page, get on it.

[MIPS]

Video hanging around on reddit that someone tried lighting the South Victoria Drive Value Village on fire. Footage shows the area that used to be the changerooms (and I think it's now linens or seasonal decorations) burning.
- https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/c...e_another_one/

[whatnext]

Frankly I'm surprised this business held out that long given the sh!tshow on that block:

Downtown Vancouver consignment store closes due to crime, disorder

By Dean Recksiedler

Posted June 5, 2024 7:39 am.
The owner of a high-end consignment store in downtown Vancouver is closing up shop, saying she’s tired of the crime and disorder.

Courtney Watkins’ store, Mine and Yours, has been at its location near Howe and Nelson streets for nearly eight years, and has been dealing with an increase in vandalism....

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/0...store-closing/

[s211]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Frankly I'm surprised this business held out that long given the sh!tshow on that block:

Downtown Vancouver consignment store closes due to crime, disorder

By Dean Recksiedler

Posted June 5, 2024 7:39 am.
The owner of a high-end consignment store in downtown Vancouver is closing up shop, saying she’s tired of the crime and disorder.

Courtney Watkins’ store, Mine and Yours, has been at its location near Howe and Nelson streets for nearly eight years, and has been dealing with an increase in vandalism....

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/0...store-closing/

"Reaction to the closure has been mixed, with some online believing Watkins is overstating the impact of social disorder in downtown Vancouver."

Talk about wearing blinders combined with rose-coloured glasses!

[Vin]

Definitely safer to open retail business in a mall with round-the-clock security.

It takes time and will to eradicate lawless zombie problems downtown and other places.

I must add that since ABC took over, the City is seeing some improvement.