Vancouver Police Department set to present ‘social safety net’ report Wednesday morning
Global News
A press conference is being held to present the report 11 a.m. Wednesday.
A report commissioned by Vancouver police investigating the cost of Vancouver’s “social safety net” is to be released Wednesday.
As Global News first reported Monday, a confidential report done for Vancouver police claims a staggering $5 billion is spent every year on Vancouver’s social safety net, with the vast majority in the Downtown Eastside.
The report shows that despite $14 million per day in spending, drug and homelessness issues are more prevalent than ever.
New Vancouver mayor Ken Sim said he has read the full report and while he has questions about some of the numbers, it raises legitimate questions about what’s being done.
“When you look at the report, it prompts great questions. It talks about transparency and accountability,” Sim said.
“I think we can all agree the situation has gotten worse … despite the fact there are a lot of groups doing a lot of things.
“We can do better.”
Vancouver police commissioned HelpSeeker Technologies to conduct the audit.