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Greater Victoria police forces issues and news


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#841 rmpeers

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Posted 08 November 2018 - 03:46 PM

The stats are for 2016. Do you think Elsner costs are included?

#842 57WestHills

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Posted 08 November 2018 - 08:11 PM

I'm sure it does too. But the surrounding municipalities are large enough for their own downtowns which attract the riff raff. It's not all focused on one small centre for the entire region.

This.

And Vancouver has massive residential areas.

VicPD's case load, criminal charges are both on a steady increase.

However, the official explanation for the need for more - one which I genuinely believe - is that the complexity of cases is increasing with new-ish Provincial policies on numerous file types, and changes in the speed at which criminal matters need to be resolved on account of case law that's existed for a couple years now. The continued downloading of mental health outreach isn't helping either.

Edited by 57WestHills, 08 November 2018 - 08:12 PM.

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#843 Gipper

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Posted 10 November 2018 - 07:01 PM

This.

And Vancouver has massive residential areas.

VicPD's case load, criminal charges are both on a steady increase.

However, the official explanation for the need for more - one which I genuinely believe - is that the complexity of cases is increasing with new-ish Provincial policies on numerous file types, and changes in the speed at which criminal matters need to be resolved on account of case law that's existed for a couple years now. The continued downloading of mental health outreach isn't helping either.


Yeah, every time the crime rate ticks down, the Province, or Courts, impose new requirements that make investigations more difficult and time consuming. We work fewer cases than when I started but they're all more complex and time consuming.

Latest example - the BC Supreme Court just informed us we now need to get a warrant before requesting a passport photo from the federal government. This used to be something we just did routinely with a memo and signature from a senior officer. Now it will require a document that takes minimum several hours (for a simple case) to a week or two (for a complex case) to complete.

If we were still dealing with the crime rate from the 80s and 90s we'd be totally paralysed.
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#844 jonny

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Posted 15 November 2018 - 07:04 PM

Massive VicPD response to something at around 6:30. Saw at least 10 cruisers responding very fast towards the Rock Bay area maybe?

#845 spanky123

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Posted 16 November 2018 - 07:24 AM

Yeah, every time the crime rate ticks down, the Province, or Courts, impose new requirements that make investigations more difficult and time consuming. We work fewer cases than when I started but they're all more complex and time consuming.

Latest example - the BC Supreme Court just informed us we now need to get a warrant before requesting a passport photo from the federal government. This used to be something we just did routinely with a memo and signature from a senior officer. Now it will require a document that takes minimum several hours (for a simple case) to a week or two (for a complex case) to complete.

If we were still dealing with the crime rate from the 80s and 90s we'd be totally paralysed.

 

Or just get their photo from social media without any paperwork :-)



#846 Bingo

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Posted 27 November 2018 - 08:37 AM

The City of Victoria needs more money for officers, while homeless tent city policing costs and cleanup on the increase.

 

 

Victoria Police Chief Del Manak wants to hire six more officers and a civilian to reinforce his frontlines, increase traffic enforcement and step up the fight against cyber crime.

Manak, who will appear before Victoria council today said in an interview that his department needs additional troops, in part, to meet the demands of a growing population.

Right now, I don’t have that ability to be able to suppress where crime’s occurring in key areas, to provide proactive police in other areas,” he said.

“We’re just basically chasing our tail because we’ve become so responsive heavy that I don’t have that proactive ability to respond to key situations.”

Manak told Esquimalt council last week that, while the decision to cut the liaison program got the most attention, other areas have suffered as well.

“I can share with you that our reserve program is being run by a thread right now,” he said.

“We were going to start a new class in October. We were unable to do that because we don’t have a volunteer co-ordinator to actually run the class and co-ordinate it.

“I’ve got over 200 Crime Stoppers tips — where people are phoning anonymously to say that they know somebody who is either dealing drugs or has stolen property or whatever it might be — that are sitting on a desk and have not been touched.”

 

 

City staff are seeking $362,000 in ongoing supplementary funding in next year’s budget to cover cleanup and other anticipated costs associated with homeless camping in city parks.

That’s an increase of $62,000 over 2018.

City staff clean up after campers seven days a week. Police and bylaw officers conduct early morning patrols, waking tenters each morning.

As of October, the city is receiving an average of 304 calls for service per month, related to sheltering in parks compared to 267 in 2017 and 238 in 2016.

http://digital.times...per/viewer.aspx

 



#847 Bingo

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Posted 27 November 2018 - 03:19 PM

How much of that money will come our way?

The province says ICBC is redirecting half its annual advertising budget to police in B.C. for traffic enforcement.

Attorney General David Eby says ICBC will add $2.4 million next fiscal year towards enhanced traffic enforcement, which will bring the corporation’s road safety traffic enforcement budget to $24.8 million.

The province says last year saw a record 350,000 crashes on B.C. roads or 960 per day.

https://vibrantvicto...-43#entry469373



#848 sebberry

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Posted 27 November 2018 - 05:29 PM

 

How much of that money will come our way?

 

 

Hopefully none of it.  The police just need to shift focus if they want to make a difference to road safety, not just do more of what they're already doing.


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#849 Cassidy

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 06:54 AM

Del is pretty good at implying that this money he's asking for is "mandatory" if residents of the COV want to continue to live safe and happy lives.

 

Of course the reality is Del's just "asking", and like any request that dips into the taxpayers pockets year after year, either a "yes" or "no" answer is acceptable, and Del can adjust his forces accordingly (which is exactly what he gets paid to do).

 

BUT.... Del's comment that he has 25 officers off on physical or mental medical leave seems far more concerning than just the passing comment he made as part of the reasoning behind why he needs more officers. Why on earth are there 25 officers off on physical or mental medical leave?

With 243 officers in total on the payroll, 25 officers off on extended medical means is 10% of the entire Victoria Police Department isn't at work currently.

 

Sounds like Del has way larger staffing issues to deal with than the need to add 6 more officers to the force?


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#850 spanky123

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 07:11 AM

Also of note is Del's comment confirming what we already know about the police attitude towards drug possession and low level dealing. https://www.timescol...says-1.23511692. In addition to being guinea pigs for a guaranteed minimum income project, we are now also ground zero for decriminalized drug possession and dealing.

 

Despite having spent tens millions of dollars provides homes to people which we were assured would reduce our police and medical overhead, crime is up 11%, more people are dying then ever before, and police costs are mounting. Geoff makes a good point about where our priorities seem to  lie. 


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#851 Mike K.

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 08:31 AM

The social media outreach by the force regarding the effect of criminality on the region and the concentration of criminality in VicPD’s jurisdiction is higher than I’ve ever seen before.

The force knows anti-police-budget-increase Isitt and the TV councillors will make their funding request very difficult so the desire to expose constituents to the seriousness of criminal activity in the core is at the forefront.

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#852 spanky123

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 08:54 AM

The social media outreach by the force regarding the effect of criminality on the region and the concentration of criminality in VicPD’s jurisdiction is higher than I’ve ever seen before.

The force knows anti-police-budget-increase Isitt and the TV councillors will make their funding request very difficult so the desire to expose constituents to the seriousness of criminal activity in the core is at the forefront.

 

It is a double edged sword though. Crime is down 11% across the Province. By pointing out that it is up 11% in Victoria it just opens them up to the suggestion of mismanagement and ineffective leadership.


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#853 Cassidy

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 09:00 AM

It is a double edged sword though. Crime is down 11% across the Province. By pointing out that it is up 11% in Victoria it just opens them up to the suggestion of mismanagement and ineffective leadership.

^^This^^

 

The presumption is being made (by somebody somewhere) that Del Manak is doing an excellent job of managing and leading his department, and equally doing an excellent job of making the very best use of the extensive resources he currently has available.

 

With crime up 11%, and 10% of the force off on sick leave(which is a HUGE number relative to other businesses/sick leave % in general), I'd go out on a limb and posit that the VicPD isn't currently managed quite as well as it should be.



#854 rmpeers

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 09:33 AM

Also of note is Del's comment confirming what we already know about the police attitude towards drug possession and low level dealing. https://www.timescol...says-1.23511692. In addition to being guinea pigs for a guaranteed minimum income project, we are now also ground zero for decriminalized drug possession and dealing.

Despite having spent tens millions of dollars provides homes to people which we were assured would reduce our police and medical overhead, crime is up 11%, more people are dying then ever before, and police costs are mounting. Geoff makes a good point about where our priorities seem to lie.


I figured that people dealing and/or possessing lethal drugs wasn't really seen as a big concern by most of our local govt reps, but even I was shocked by just how lax the approach is; basically, yeah, if a dealer is really selling selling a lot of drugs to vulnerable street people, we might want to consider red zoning them.

Is Geoff Young the only councillor with adequate brainpower to make a connection between this policy and the ever increasing number of overdose deaths?

Or do the geniuses at UVic etc have such a strong hold that the rest of the council and mayor can't quite believe that letting dealers run amok might just possibly have some connection to overdoses?
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#855 Nparker

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 09:44 AM

I think there is a belief that decriminalizing hard drugs will somehow make the supply safer.

Again, I turn to the example of cigarettes (as I have before in regards to the issue of drug use stigma); tobacco is a legal substance, but that doesn't stop thousands of people from contracting life-threatening illnesses as a direct consequence of its use.


Edited by Nparker, 28 November 2018 - 09:49 AM.

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#856 spanky123

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 09:49 AM

I think there is a belief that decriminalizing hard drugs will somehow make the supply safer.

Again, I turn to the example of cigarettes (as I have before in regards to the issue of drug use stigma); tobacco is a legal substance, but that doesn't mean that thousands of people don't contract life-threatening illnesses as a direct consequence of its use.

 

They are decriminalized now and are they safer? 

 

I think that the UVIC types want free drugs to be provided to junkies. Their argument is that if they control the supply they can control the quality.



#857 Nparker

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 09:52 AM

I think that the UVIC types want free drugs to be provided to junkies. ...

Then as a society we should also be supplying free alcohol and free tobacco to all who "need" these substances too.



#858 rmpeers

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 12:23 PM

I just don't understand the logic of bemoaning the tragic OD stats on one hand, while on the other treating dealers with kid gloves.

The dealers sell the drugs to people (many of them vulnerable) and the drugs either kill them or just destroy their lives in other ways.

How is "we might consider red zoning some of the really bad dealers" seen as a reasonable approach??

I'm sure dealers and a few UVic "academics" think this approach is just fine, but why would anyone else?

Edited by rmpeers, 28 November 2018 - 12:23 PM.

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#859 Rob Randall

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 12:46 PM

At the street level there is virtually no difference between low-level dealer and user.



#860 Mike K.

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Posted 28 November 2018 - 12:50 PM

Except for their violent tendencies and a destabilizing effect on buildings like 844 Johnson.

I’ve come across too many street dealers when I lived downtown. Those are not people you want to be in close proximity to, ever. A strung out user on the other hand is generally harmless.

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