Had a great conversation with the Vancouver Police Chief today, discussing various aspects of public safety and crime prevention. Here's a recap of what we covered: 👮 The Vancouver Police Foundation plays a crucial role in supporting public safety initiatives, including programs for youth and seniors, often run by police officers during their own time. 🇨🇦 Vancouver's police force is on track to match Canadian history by having the first year with no officers killed in the line of duty. This achievement is a testament to their data-driven approach to police assignments. 📊 The science of data guides their efforts, emphasizing the importance of community policing and the Community Matters Outreach Report. ✊ Protests, while vital for democracy, demand considerable time, money, and resources from the police force. 🧠 In addressing mental health, the VPD partners with Coastal Health to create proactive teams, combining plain-clothes police officers and psychiatric nurses, sharing data, and reducing police calls by 50%. 💡 Project Barcode 3 focuses on not releasing violent offenders, highlighting the need for well-funded policing and mental health services. 🏠 Public safety measures indicate an increase in property crimes and hate crimes, the latter driven by world events. 🔄 The VPD continually seeks efficiencies through tiered policing, civilianization, operational reviews, community partnerships, volunteers, and more. 🤝 Moderate de-escalation techniques, drones as first responders, and a mobile task force provide versatile approaches to address various situations. 🏢 Businesses are encouraged to report crimes, stay connected, and advocate for change, particularly regarding issues like shoplifting, theft, and violence against employees, putting pressure on government for bail reform and other improvements. Let's work together to ensure the safety and well-being of our community! 💪 #PublicSafety #CrimePrevention #CommunityMatters #VancouverPolice Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
