Quote:
Originally Posted by Atrial78
Winnipeg definitely has a problem, but it's not unique to just Winnipeg. I lived for years in Vancouver and violent crime is a problem there, despite it being a wealthier city. The city and transit there do feel safer overall given the density of the city and higher ridership. Winnipeg unfortunately does suffer from a lot of poverty, which many are working to improve. As a millennial, I feel that we need both strong support services, but also need to be tougher on crime and not allow lawlessness to perpetuate.
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I have to disagree with you on a few points. Vancouver has higher housing costs and slightly higher wages to compensate, but has a higher poverty rate, in fact the highest in Canada. It also has a far larger homeless population and related opioid crisis, in part because of the winter climate. Nonetheless it does have a lower overall crime rate.
The urban crime patterns are very different. Crime in Winnipeg is heavily concentrate in the inner city and immediately adjacent parts of the North and West Ends, in Vancouver it is spread out and greatly affects some suburban areas, such as parts of New West, Surrey and even Langley. I agree that downtown Vancouver definitely
feels safer as there are usually so many more people around. I can't agree that the entire city feels safer.
Crime is an unsolvable problem, and always has been. I agree that bail must be less automatic, even for offences considered minor, like shoplifting. If you have a record as long as your forearm and are back before a judge, bail should be denied on public safety grounds. Police are well aware that there are a relatively small number of people that commit most of the crime in this city, and they are known to them, but they are released and engaging in criminal activity almost immediately afterwards. As for transit, I guess I've been lucky, but haven't seen anything more than an argument about fare evasion on a bus here. At Metrotown Station I witnessed an armed standoff. As for support services, many don't want to use them. We already have a multi-billion dollar social services industry. Compulsory treatment may give positive results, but you know yourself that wouldn't fly in this country.