Solutions to qathet’s surging crime situation: Working Together

An end to surging crime: Part 3

BY PIETA WOOLLEY

qL started working on this series about crime back in the spring. It was clear, even then, that escalating crime and the social challenges that underpin it were the biggest story in town.

At the time, there wasn’t much movement from political leadership. Point out that crime was having an impact, as we did in our October issue, and you were sure to be slammed for unfairly and cruelly picking on marginalized people.

But starting October 1 with the release of BC’s chronic offenders report (see next page), plenty of political will has been centred on crime and the social issues surrounding it.

Perhaps that’s because, as the chronic offenders report makes clear, the crime wave that has been growing since 2019 is eroding public trust in policing and justice – not to mention impacting front-line workers in grocery stores, emergency rooms, and other essential places. Perhaps the new political will is because BC voters overwhelmingly elected mayors on October 15 that vowed to do something about crime – and the Premier and Prime Minister had to react or face getting booted out next election. Or, perhaps it was motivated by how little impact the billions of dollars spent on social issues in BC seems to be having, as was outlined in the November 8 Vancouver Police Department report, and echoed in the Auditor General’s housing report, and what is emerging from new reporting on BC Housing.

Over the past two months, our political leadership has admitted that crime is a crisis. We all know that the social issues that are causing crime are a crisis – toxic drugs, widespread addictions, mental health, poverty and housing. And, it seems, the political solutions that have been aimed at managing both crime and social issues are also in crisis.

In this final installment of qL’s three-part series on crime, we are handing the pages over to the people in this community who are in a position to recommend solutions to the crime wave that has manifested in this community.

Although qL has received many, many letters and phone calls about this series so far, most people who contacted us do not want to make their views public. They are afraid to do so. On the one hand, we can’t blame them; some folks on Facebook are mean these days, and avoiding their wrath is only rational. And on the other hand, letters to the editor and thoughtful public discourse is a cornerstone of democracy – how we solve our problems and move society forward together. If thoughtful people are afraid to openly discuss the biggest story in town, that is another crisis (for another time).

An end to surging crime: Part 3

This article is the third in qathet Living magazine’s three-part series on crime in this region.

Part 1 explored the crimes themselves: what is happening, and what is the impact on this community?

Part 2 dived in to courts and corrections: how changes to our justice system are playing out locally.

Part 3 asks what those who are perpetrating the crimes need to be able to stop harming this community and themselves, and re-join society.

Note: In the January 2023 issue, we will run a special follow-up story on new approaches to toxic drug and addictions policy, as so much has emerged over the past month.

We hope these stories help inform the current conversation about crime, justice, addiction, and solutions. And, we hope to hear from you.

Please send letters (ideally before the 20th of the month) to isabelle@prliving.ca.