The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said violence and street crime have dropped in the city’s Downtown Eastside since a police task force was set up three months ago.
Dubbed the Task Force Barrage, the team has been focusing on Gastown, Chinatown, and Hastings Street, according to VPD. Officers patrolling the the area maintain high visibility and are able to quickly deal with violence in the neighbourhoods, it said.
The police department has released its numbers for violence and property crimes in the area between Feb. 13 and May 13.
VPD says the data shows violence and most property crime have trended lower in the Downtown Eastside and surrounding neighbourhoods of Gastown, Chintatown, and Strathcona compared to 2024….