Vancouver's Work Less Party would halve the city's police budget and divert the funds to hiring social workers and drug counsellors, a city council hopeful said yesterday.

Statistics show that crime in Vancouver is falling, says Chris Shaw, and so should the city's police budget, which this year accounts for 20 per cent of the entire city's budget.

"Most of the property crime in the city is done by drug addicts," Shaw said in an interview yesterday, as the fledgling party launched its election platform. "The problem is not solved by treating them as criminals, the problem is going to be solved by treating it as a medical and social emergency."

Shaw also wants the city to have a stronger hand in cutting back on car use. Ideas like converting secondary roads to bike-only and mandating some bridge lanes for bike and transit use should all be on the table, he said.

Environmentalist and raging granny Betty Krawczyk is running as the party's mayoral candidate this year.

Irwin Loy reports for 24 hours.