Increased enforcement in the downtown and surrounding areas of the city are already showing dramatic results, according to police.
Officers working in the downtown and Gateway commercial areas, and along the corridors in between, have been stepping up visibility and enforcement over the last two weeks. From May 15-25, officers took the following actions:
- Violation Tickets. Approximately 125 violation tickets were issued under provincial legislation including the Motor Vehicle Act and the Liquor Control and Licencing Act. Bicycle related offences and open liquor offences are the main violations observed;
- Wanted Persons. A dozen persons with arrest warrants were identified and arrested in these areas;
- Self-generated files. Frontline officers entered into 40 Criminal Code or Controlled Drugs and Substances Act investigations. Ten of these investigations resulted in reports to the Federal Prosecution Service of Canada or the BC Prosecution Service. These investigations are in addition to the calls for service that were reported to police by the public;
- Drunk in Public. An additional 10 persons were arrested for being intoxicated in public and unable to care for themselves. These are in addition to reports that police received from the public.
These actions have already resulted in a noticeable reduction of open drug use, drug trafficking and mischief related incidents in these areas, according to police. Officers are also seeing a reduction of violations of the Motor Vehicle Act as it relates to riding bicycles. These trends are expected to continue.