23430 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Sorry, Klapecki. That’s got to be frustrating.

[Dexter]

Kinda comical actually. Worst part is the brand new tires we put on it. The whole thing sums up Victoria criminal scene pretty good. Troubled person, repeat offender, steals van to facilitate more stealing. Crashes van and gets caught by dog patrol. Released the next day on promises to appear. Starts all over again….

Sorry, Klapecki. That’s got to be frustrating.

Edited by Klapecki, 01 October 2021 - 08:12 PM.

[pontcanna]

Victoria is facing a real public safety crisis

Times Colonist - Oct 2, 2021

•  
• STEPHEN ANDREW - A commentary by a Victoria city councillor.

The City of Victoria is in a public-safety crisis. The first step to solving the growing threat to public safety is to acknowledge it as real and take immediate action. If that is not done, it is difficult to see how we can continue to function as a city.

 

Our police, bylaw and animal control departments are in crisis. They are understaffed and overworked. The tone from inside these departments is that “we are dropping like flies.”

 

The numbers speak for themselves. VicPD has 52 members unable to be deployed due to injury or PTSD, including 17 recruits at the Justice Institute. Hours lost to injury and PTSD tripled since 2018, from 1,051 to 3,361.

 

It’s getting worse, with assaults on officers, including being knocked unconscious, attacked while volunteering and recently even being struck by a stolen vehicle.

 

VicPD often runs below minimum staffing numbers for patrol shifts. At one time, officers were glad to work overtime, but no more. They are increasingly burnt out and shifts are going unfilled.

 

More: https://digitaltimes...281749862517358

 

 

 

[A Girl is No one]

Victoria is facing a real public safety crisis
Times Colonist - Oct 2, 2021

• STEPHEN ANDREW - A commentary by a Victoria city councillor.

The City of Victoria is in a public-safety crisis. The first step to solving the growing threat to public safety is to acknowledge it as real and take immediate action. If that is not done, it is difficult to see how we can continue to function as a city.

Our police, bylaw and animal control departments are in crisis. They are understaffed and overworked. The tone from inside these departments is that “we are dropping like flies.”

The numbers speak for themselves. VicPD has 52 members unable to be deployed due to injury or PTSD, including 17 recruits at the Justice Institute. Hours lost to injury and PTSD tripled since 2018, from 1,051 to 3,361.

It’s getting worse, with assaults on officers, including being knocked unconscious, attacked while volunteering and recently even being struck by a stolen vehicle.

VicPD often runs below minimum staffing numbers for patrol shifts. At one time, officers were glad to work overtime, but no more. They are increasingly burnt out and shifts are going unfilled.

More: https://digitaltimes...281749862517358

Bravo Stephen! This might get you the mayorship. 😁

Get ready for the hordes of activist ideologues to follow up this opinion with their responses, normally filled with lies and accusations (and always pretending to be just your regular citizens, not part of the UVic/TV machine).

[Sparky]

Bless you Stephen.

[Mike K.]

There we have it.

On CFAX Mayor Helps said every Canadian city is facing the same challenges Victoria is, at the same rate.

But I don’t think Edmonton councillors are writing their paper of record claiming their city is facing a public-safety crisis. Nor are the councillors of Halifax, Brampton, Moose Jaw, Prince George or Campbell River doing the same.

[Nparker]

...On CFAX Mayor Helps said every Canadian city is facing the same challenges Victoria is, at the same rate...

Every city of 90,000 people has the same number of issues as the CoV? I think not Ms Helps. You engineered this nightmare, you need to fix it or step aside.

[spanky123]

There we have it.

On CFAX Mayor Helps said every Canadian city is facing the same challenges Victoria is, at the same rate.

But I don’t think Edmonton councillors are writing their paper of record claiming their city is facing a public-safety crisis. Nor are the councillors of Halifax, Brampton, Moose Jaw, Prince George or Campbell River doing the same.

 

That has always been her response to any criticism, everyone else has the same problem so it has nothing to do with her policies. Problem is that there is nobody left in media to challenge her so she is free to make any claim she wants.

[spanky123]

Bravo Stephen! This might get you the mayorship.

Get ready for the hordes of activist ideologues to follow up this opinion with their responses, normally filled with lies and accusations (and always pretending to be just your regular citizens, not part of the UVic/TV machine).

 

Well I am not an activist or ideologue but I think that Stephen's article is very light on substance. Rather than creating a new police force to deal with housing issues, why not simply fund the one that we have to not only match inflation but the increase in size of the populace they are serving?! Nobody, including Stephen, seems to be making that logical argument. Seems to me that even our 'moderate' councilor is afraid to take on the 'defund' movement.

 

Helps and crew want crime and violence to escalate beyond control and for the police department to deteriorate. One you are afraid to leave your home or open your store then you will accept whatever measures they then want to impose.

[A Girl is No one]

Well I am not an activist or ideologue but I think that Stephen's article is very light on substance. Rather than creating a new police force to deal with housing issues, why not simply fund the one that we have to not only match inflation but the increase in size of the populace they are serving?! Nobody, including Stephen, seems to be making that logical argument. Seems to me that even our 'moderate' councilor is afraid to take on the 'defund' movement.

Helps and crew want crime and violence to escalate beyond control and for the police department to deteriorate. One you are afraid to leave your home or open your store then you will accept whatever measures they then want to impose.

The way I read Stephen Andrews request was that the province should pay to police the institutions they are settling in Victoria, instead of the Victoria taxpayers having to pay for it and free up VicPD to serve the rest of the population because right now it seems they only work for the « underserved ».

Edited by A Girl is No one, 02 October 2021 - 11:53 AM.

[Matt R.]

Apparently Steve Wallace arrested for sexual assault.

https://www.capitald...tvt7LgMvj6EYFik

“ The Victoria Police arrested local driving instructor and prominent media commentator Steve Wallace. This move is the culmination of their investigation into several of sexual harassment and assault allegations made by former students and women which date back to the late 1970s, during Wallace’s time as a drivers education coordinator and teacher in Quenel, BC.”

Matt.

[Victoria Watcher]

VicPD is normally not shy about press releases and often asking “for other possible victims to come forward”.

If this arrest is accurate why so silent?

[Mike K.]

Is that a direct copy and paste?

[Matt R.]

Is that a direct copy and paste?

Mine? Yes it is. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do?

ETA: no I didn’t correct the spelling or grammar.

Matt.

Edited by Matt R., 02 October 2021 - 07:01 PM.

[pontcanna]

Looks like The Hub City is a-scared too:

 

Nanaimo residents afraid to walk in their neighbourhoods at night, RCMP report suggests

October 2, 2021

Safety audits by Nanaimo RCMP in six Nanaimo communities show a majority of people believe crime in the city is on the increase.

It also shows most people are afraid to walk in their neighbourhoods at night.

“The common theme is people are scared. People think crime is on the rise. They believe that it’s not safe to come to downtown,” said Tim McGrath, president of the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Network.

Among the downtown, residents feeling less safe is Brian Rice.

Just two weeks ago he asked a homeless person making noise late at night outside his Robarts street home to quiet down.

“He came around the corner really fast and he had two sticks in his hands and caught me right here and split my head open so yeah kind of scary,” said Rice, who also says he is a 200-pound man with a martial arts background.

 

More: https://www.cheknews...uggests-893609/

 

 

 

[Mike K.]

Mine? Yes it is. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do?

ETA: no I didn’t correct the spelling or grammar.

Matt.

Yikes.

[spanky123]

The way I read Stephen Andrews request was that the province should pay to police the institutions they are settling in Victoria, instead of the Victoria taxpayers having to pay for it and free up VicPD to serve the rest of the population because right now it seems they only work for the « underserved ».

My understanding is that with at least some of the’projects’ Vicpd is paid directly by BC Housing for extra policing.

[spanky123]

Apparently Steve Wallace arrested for sexual assault.

https://www.capitald...tvt7LgMvj6EYFik

“ The Victoria Police arrested local driving instructor and prominent media commentator Steve Wallace. This move is the culmination of their investigation into several of sexual harassment and assault allegations made by former students and women which date back to the late 1970s, during Wallace’s time as a drivers education coordinator and teacher in Quenel, BC.”

Matt.

With the number of complaints Vicpd and the crown I am sure had no choice. At least for Steve this will give him a chance to clear his name (or not) rather than having allegations hanging over him for the rest of his life. If he is guilty then that will also settle things.

Nothing that I read in the Capital sounded like it would have reached the threshold of sexual assault so Vicpd must have had other complaints.

[Victoria Watcher]

A woman who made detailed allegations of sexual assault on the Vancouver Island Instagram account @survivorstories project is suing two real estate agents and the real estate company they worked for.

 

The plaintiff, identified as J.K., launched her civil suit Wednesday in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver. She is suing Bowman Rutledge, Andy Rogers and Island Group Services Inc., doing business as Engel & ­Volkers Vancouver Island, for injuries, loss and damage ­allegedly suffered as a result of a sexual assault in August 2018.

 

https://www.timescol...ault-1.24361738

[spanky123]

^ The plaintiff is entitled to her day in court but it sends a message to others.

 

I am sure the crown will be offering Steve Wallace the opportunity to plead to a misdemeanor, pay restitution and agree to forfeit his training license and give up his business. Faced with $100K+ in legal fees to defend himself it will sound like a good option given that he is probably only a few years from retirement anyways. As soon as he admits guilt however the lawsuits will start and he will be out far more than the $100K.

 

Either way there is no good outcome here for Steve. If it were me and I was innocent then I would rather go down swinging.