'I'D RATHER MY TAX MONEY WENT TO THE POLICE, NOT SAFE INJECTION SITES'

When is our city council going to get serious about the police
budget?

Vancouver is the most understaffed and under-equipped municipal police
force in Canada, likely in North America. Every major city in Canada
has greater police resources than Vancouver. Calgary, with a
significantly smaller population and less big-city crime, has 30 per
cent more cops on the street than Vancouver, as well as a police
helicopter that has all but eradicated stolen car chases in their city.

Our city council hasn't noticed Vancouver is a global city with global
criminals and global problems. We have seven Hell's Angels chapters in
B.C. whose members frequent our city and conduct their business here
unchallenged. Gang violence has boosted our murder rate. There have
been approximately 84 non-lethal shootings in Vancouver this year, the
majority in the downtown night club core.

Property crime is second to none in North America and it is only
thanks to our already strapped police department that it is being kept
in check. And please don't quote those experts at SFU who continue to
tell us different. As a Vancouver city taxpayer and voter, I object to
our city counsel's stupidity. Congratulations to Chief Jamie Graham
and his members for "making a silk purse out of a sow's ear." Raise my
taxes. I would much rather spend my tax dollars on more police
resources than safe injection sites.

Lizanne Ward

Vancouver