Downtown Van calls on election candidates to address public safety

After years of homelessness, drug use and general lawlessness, the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association — known simply as Downtown Van — has launched a campaign to encourage political action to prioritize public safety.The "Better Safe / Than Sorry" campaign features digital ads and videos as well as physical ads in elevators, transit shelters, and on billboards calling on residents and other stakeholders to ask candidates how they will address the issue in the upcoming election campaign."Over the past few years our members have been wrestling with significant challenges related to community safety and it is taking a toll," Downtown Van President and CEO Jane Talbot said in a press release. "Dealing with the realities of theft, damage, employee wellbeing and customers feeling unsafe is preventing businesses in Vancouver’s downtown core from thriving."She said in no uncertain terms that, "the status quo clearly isn't working," and advocated for "a holistic approach to addressing community safety.""We are committed to working alongside all stakeholders to find effective solutions to these pressing challenges within Vancouver’s downtown core," Talbot continued, "but we need to act soon, or it will be too late for many of our smaller businesses downtown."Over 8,000 small and medium-sized businesses and 130,000 workers in the central business district of downtown Vancouver are represented by Downtown Van. They have been described as "vital contributors to the economy, providing employment, innovation, and essential services."The campaign was launched as a "direct response to the concerns Downtown Van's members have been expressing in recent years."The non-profit group said it hopes to see a number of changes, including "comprehensive support" for those with mental illness and/or addiction, policies that deal with "the continued challenges" posed by repeat offenders, and investments in law enforcement.Visitors to the campaign website can learn how to vote, and read the platforms of all major parties. Their contact information is also provided, as well as a letter template..Police identify man killed in Vancouver stranger machete attack; second victim has hand reattached.Over the past few years, Vancouver's downtown core has deteriorated, with homelessness, drug use, and general lawlessness becoming more prevalent. A number of stranger attacks, one of which left a man dead and another with a severed hand, have shocked the community, and led many to call for reform.