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Bad Numbers for 'Civil City'

Vancouver's citizen security project way off its goals.

By Monte Paulsen, 24 Jan 2008, TheTyee.ca

Sam Sullivan

Mayor Sullivan: 'We have problems'

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On the eve of his annual state of the city address, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan admits "problems" achieving success on key fronts of his major initiative, the Civil City project.

In rolling out the project in December of 2006, Sullivan and his Non-Partisan Association party vowed to cut in half homelessness, street drug use and aggressive panhandling by 2010. Statistics show all three have risen since.

When The Tyee asked the mayor about the negative trend lines yesterday, he did not dispute them, but pointed a finger at other levels of government.

"We have problems. We want to address them. We're here to tell the provincial and federal governments that we need more support," Sullivan said.

The NPA-dominated city council allocated $300,000 to co-ordinate ongoing city and provincial efforts toward improving the civility of Vancouver's street life in advance of the 2010 Olympics. Former B.C. attorney general Geoff Plant assumed the role of Project Civil City commissioner in May 2007, and made his first report to council in October.

By mid-December 2007, Project Civil City had spent $156,776, according to accounting provided by the City of Vancouver in response to a freedom of information request filed by The Tyee. Most of that was spent on contract and consulting services, including fees paid to Plant's blue-chip law firm, Heenan Blaikie. That means more than half of Project Civil City's allotted budget was spent in its first year.

But so far, at least, there's no statistical progress to show for the money invested.

Homelessness up 54 to 78 per cent

Civil City pledged to "increase housing opportunities and eliminate homelessness, with at least a 50 per cent reduction by 2010."

The most recent homeless census was conducted in March of 2005, eight months before Sullivan became mayor. A team of social workers counted 1,291 homeless people in the city of Vancouver, representing more than half the 2,174 homeless people found in the region.

City staff agree that number has risen significantly, but differ on how much.

Vancouver homelessness has increased by 54 per cent since 2005 according to Commissioner Plant, who in October of 2007 benchmarked the number of Vancouver homeless at 2,000 individuals.

Or perhaps Vancouver homelessness has risen by 78 per cent since 2005, if a respected Housing Centre estimate of 2,300 street homeless is applied.

Either way, homelessness appears to be rapidly growing in Vancouver, as it is across the province. (The 2008 Metro Vancouver homeless count, scheduled for March 11, is soliciting volunteers.)

Drug offences have doubled

Sullivan also promised to "eliminate the open drug market on Vancouver's streets, with at least a 50 per cent reduction by 2010."

Drug-related offences rose 102 per cent between calendar 2006 and calendar 2007, according to statistics released recently by the Vancouver Police Board.

Police action is an imperfect measure of actual drug activity. "Police statistics... only measure drugs seized and arrests made. The police generally consider these numbers to be very conservative. Clearly, they only represent the tip of a large iceberg," wrote Plant in his October 2007 report to council.

But Plant acknowledged that, for the time being, police records remain the only annual barometer available for the Vancouver drug trade. "We have been working extensively with the VPD to discuss ways in which some of the data they already collect can, over time, become part of the accountability framework for Project Civil City."

In addition to a doubling of drug-related arrests, 2007 was also the year in which an ongoing turf war erupted into a series of gangland-style shootings. Culpable homicides rose 27 per cent, and attempted murders rose 31 per cent, according to police statistics. An August assault at the Fortune Happiness Restaurant in East Vancouver left two dead and six wounded in what police called the worst gangland style assault in the city's history.

Street disorder up 84 per cent

The third of Sullivan's specific Civil City promises is to "eliminate the incidence of aggressive panhandling, with at least a 50 per cent reduction by 2010."

No one tracks panhandling per se, but according to police board statistics, the incidence of overall street disorder was up 84 per cent in 2007.

And last August, a security camera at one of Vancouver's oldest Catholic churches recorded a vicious attack in which a regular panhandler threw a 79-year-old man to the floor, took money from his wallet and fled.

Images of the Holy Rosary Cathedral assault fuelled a nationwide debate about aggressive panhandling. And staff at the Richards Street church reported that similar incidents were occurring on a near-daily basis. One priest said women who go to the church are in the habit of holding onto their purses tightly during mass.

'Going to be difficulties'

Mayor Sullivan spent the day before his state of the city address at a Vancouver conference promoting the Federation of Canadian Municipalities call for Ottawa to commit $35 billion toward a national action plan on housing and homelessness.

Sullivan did not argue with the statistics detailed above.

After calling on federal and provincial governments to heed his plea for "more support," Sullivan added: "I do believe that a lot of the public order problems are generated by lack of suitable housing. We have some very decrepit, actually appalling housing in the city of Vancouver, and it's because there is no other option. If we had good, supportive housing that was brand new, we would be able to replace that housing."

"With the investments the provincial government has made -- 2,700 units committed in the last two years -- we're going to make a big difference. But it does take some time to get those up and running," Sullivan said.

He added, "There are going to be difficulties."

Sullivan's state of the city address Thursday at noon at the Pan Pacific Hotel will be his last before November's municipal elections.

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Monte Paulsen is investigative editor of The Tyee. He welcomes e-mail as well as respectful reader participation in the online discussion below.

17 Comments:

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  • Grumpy

    4 years ago

    Uncivil City

    Civil City is nothing more than Sam (The Unwise) Sullivan trying to camouflage the utter corruptness of open gang warfare, homeless people wandering in their squalor, an open drug market, and various other taboo things that would make Vancouver a world class sleaze city.

    Here is the truth:

    Vancouver, with one of the most inept civil governments ever, is desperate in trying to be what it is not.

    This gross case of international 'penis' envy, means Vancouver wants billions for prestigious subways that will do little to alleviate congestion, while the poor, the elderly, and the needy are treated like scum.

    EDITED FOR LEGAL CONCERNS. -- TYEE MODERATOR Vision councillors are just as inept and lack any vision whats so ever!

    And what does this say about the Vancouver voter?

  • ChrisB

    4 years ago

    The Silver Lining

    There's always a silver lining. Despite the usurious cost of housing in Vancouver Geoff Plant will enjoy comfortable accommodations for at least the foreseeable future.

  • Chris1

    4 years ago

    Civil city

    I cannot believe this city. I keep hearing that housing will solve everything.
    Housing will sure help in a city that has become expensive for all but it will NOT deal with the addiction issues that we are faced with.
    Many people are homeless not because they lack a home, but because their addictions have brought them down to the bottom.
    Where the HELL is treatment???
    I do not believe that this all about poverty.

  • avandoc

    4 years ago

    Poverty

    Perhaps it's not all about poverty, but societies that have nearly eliminated poverty, mostly Nordic countries, have low levels of homelessness, addiction, illiteracy, and crime compared with societies with more poverty. They also, as it turns out, have high economic innovativeness despite their high taxes, which reduce economic inequality. Inequality has consequences. Just look south to see the social and economic mess in the most world's most unequal industrialized nation.

  • Monte Paulsen

    4 years ago

    Highlights of Sullivan's State of the City Address

    The following quotes were part of Mayor Sullivan's speech read at today's Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association Luncheon

    “Two years ago you entrusted me to deliver you a government that was united with a plan to make your City even better. You told me your City government should not be absorbed in divisions and in-fighting, rather we should spend all our energy fighting for your City. You told me you wanted positive relations with other levels of government that would bring real benefits to the City. Today there is a united government at City Hall - with a clear set of goals - and a progressive agenda for the benefit of Vancouver.”

    “I am proud to say that this NPA Government showed courage and a commitment to fairness when - by a close vote - we implemented the first business tax freeze in Vancouver history, with a tax shift of almost 2%. This was a vote for a strong economy and we delivered.”

    “While senior governments are recording billions in surpluses and implementing tax cuts, we at the civic level are trying to run modern cities on a horse and buggy tax system. This is not sustainable. We have proposed that the Provincial government reinstate the Municipal Revenue Program cut in 1997. This one measure would invest $350 million into BC municipalities and give us a chance to have a debate about reducing your property taxes.”

    “Our NPA Caucus is working to secure the future of BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. BC Place is a critical part of our city’s tourism and event infrastructure – generating over $58 million in economic activity last year. This year, our government will support a plan to more fully develop the potential of BC Place at its current location.”

    “Being decisive is an essential part of the job of being Mayor. My commitment to you and our city is unequivocal. I love democracy. I love the battle of ideas. And I love Vancouver. Not only do I plan to be on the ballot this year – but I also plan to win. I want to be Mayor for another three years – not just three weeks for the Olympics. I want to fully implement the plan our government has started.”

  • G West

    4 years ago

    "I love democracy" s. sullivan

    That is pretty funny Monte - for anyone who recalls the CUPE strike this summer and fall I think they'll take little sammy's current sermonette with a large dose of salts.

    Let's just hope there's more than one sam sullivan on the ballot mr mayor.

  • happy

    4 years ago

    little sammy?

    If you talked like that to anyone in my workplace you'd be hit with a harrasment complaint. Not very progressive calling people names. I thought you took the high road.

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Well, I've only this to say about that

    No happy, in my opinion, Sam Sullivan would be a small man if he were 10 feet tall. I would never be so disrespectful of the man to pull my punches because he happens to have a disability – which has absolutely NO bearing on how badly he does his job.

    You’d do him a disservice by treating him like an invalid.

    His lack of character has nothing to with his physical disability - although he tries very hard to assert that the reciprocal of that is true.

    Anyone who made the statements that were quoted in the passage I was referring to, statements that are demonstrably untrue and disingenuous deserves to be called for them - especially when he pretends to a position in the public realm.

    As for your other statement, Sullivan works for the citizens of Vancouver - not the other way around.

    That's democracy, or have you forgotten? I do believe he has.

  • happy

    4 years ago

    Who's the real "little man"

    I thought you were supposed to use "astericks" or "inverted commas" when speaking figuratively. At least thats what you told me some months ago during a Tyee Grammer lesson, no? This just comes across as a straight insult of his physical stature, as you didn't discuss ANY of the points in his statements. You just took a cheap shot against him personally, as you are obviously still licking your wounds that he didn't just crumble in the face of that unnessacery CUPE power struggle

  • G West

    4 years ago

    No I didn't!

    And it's grammar, not Grammer,

    Next lesson!

    It shouldn't be necessary to discuss the obvious - with most people, it isn't.

    Is that a cheap enough shot for you happy?

    I wasn't speaking figuratively; Sullivan is a small man in the sense I meant - and it has nothing to do with his stature - as you ought to have known.

    I should have thought the consequences of Sullivan's regime would have been obvious to anyone who has even the most cursory knowledge of civic politics in the Lower Mainland.

    Apparently not.

  • happy

    4 years ago

    as always west

    The voters will decide. Wheres Larry Campbell when you need him, eh?
    And BTW, I liked Larry (not COPE) for his plain speak, too bad he turned into such a hypocrite. The anti politician who accepted the most political payoff in the land

  • G West

    4 years ago

    I think you already have my verdict

    I think you already have my verdict on the voters.

    Until we have an honest, open and unmuzzled press in this country, not much is going to change.

    Because most voters haven't got the sense to look beyond their own noses...which is why a trickster like small sammy sullivan got elected in the first place and a convicted criminal like gordon campbell can continue to run the province like a ceo rather than a democrat.

  • happy

    4 years ago

    Make you a deal

    When I see the Tyee acting in an open and unmuzzled manner I will support your POV re the press without reservation. I've noted numerous topics here that are taboo and not to be discussed in the light of day.
    Fair?

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Not at all

    Read the rules, please.

    They only edit for:
    1. Legal reasons - such as potential libel;
    2. Attacking journalists in an ad hominem way;
    3. Getting personal.

    As for the idea that the MSM is actually covering - from a variety of points of view - all of the news that's out there...we both know it isn't.

    No matter how popular the Tyee gets to be, to suggest that your opinion is in any way influenced by what happens here - relative to the overall ambit of the fourth estate is absurd.

    I don't believe that any subjects which are taboo here - what were you thinking of?

    My main complaint with the Tyee concerns the Best Comments/All Comments thing...as for the rest of it, if the MSM were as free as this site is, we wouldn't have that much to complain about.

    As long as the editors of Canwest dailies respond to criticism (if they respond at all) with nonsense like: 'If it's news we'll print it...' when questioned about a court appearance concerning the highest levels of the provincial government that WAS NOT EVEN COVERED by a stringer....

    Well, I think you'll get the point. If it happened once, it might be forgivable - unfortunately it has happened scores of times.

  • happy

    4 years ago

    I'll be brief

    "I don't believe that any subjects which are taboo here - what were you thinking of?"

    Any news item critical of anything or anybody associated with the BCFED - off limits. The most glaring example lately being QOTN. I recall the thread here post sinking in which the majority of posters declared Campbell and Hahn had "blood on their hands!" Looks like Jackie's the one who's going to have a lot of explaining to do

  • G West

    4 years ago

    I disagree...

    As for the Queen of the North, you must be kidding, the incident was widely covered here and plenty of opprobrium was heaped on the crewmembers - who have since been fired.

    It has nothing whatever to do with the union - but an awful lot to do with training - which is, last time I looked, the province of the corporation.

    Btw, what about that safety report on Ferry operations? Haven't heard too much about that one either...

    Anyway, if that's the best you can come up with for taboo subjects here at the Tyee, I think its reputation is going to survive.

    It's actually useful to have a few chronic complainers and neo-cons around the place - it helps establish just how different things are around here from the soft-soap the Aspers are selling.

    I take it you’ll be starting to criticize Canwest forthwith!

    Anyway, how does this have anything whatever to do with Sam Sullivan and my efforts to make sure plenty of people start questioning his bona fides as a candidate this fall?

  • rockyvoids

    4 years ago

    Soft Soap??

    Soft Soap? Nah! This is just propaganda heavily formulated with "LYE."
    All our western Leaders use it as a regular tool to keep the great "Unwashed" properly uninformed.

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