Rival politicians say the $20 million cost cited by ABC seems too low
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ABC Vancouver mayoral candidate Ken Sim promised Monday to hire an additional 100 police officers and 100 mental health nurses if he is elected this year.
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It’s the latest example of how public safety and crime are shaping up to be a bigger issue this year than they were in the recent Vancouver election.
And while no one wants to speak out against adding resources for safety and mental health, Sim’s opponents criticized his new proposal as unrealistic and questioned his cost estimate.
On Monday, Sim described the policy as “pretty ambitious” and much-needed spending on community safety.
Even health spending is the province of the provincial government, Sim said: “We are going through a mental health crisis right now, and we have to assess the situation. We have to show some short-term leadership as we work with our provincial and federal partners to find long-term solutions.”
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The idea, Sim said, is to expand the presence and availability of the Car 87 and 88 program, a partnership between the VPD and the Vancouver Coastal Health crisis response team, which has been responding to mental health calls since Car 87 It was released as a test. in 1978. The VPD added a second team, Car 88, in 2020, and even with the added coverage, the VPD told the police board last year that it was unable to meet demand. Glacier Media reported.
The Car 87 and 88 program gets great results, Sim said, and should be available 24 hours a day, adding, “It’s actually crazy that we haven’t done this as a city years ago.”
In a statement Monday, ABC estimated the hiring would cost about $20 million a year, which “can be fully funded” without a tax increase, other staff reductions “or cuts to other mental health or community supports.”
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Asked how this would be possible without raising taxes or cutting elsewhere, Sim said he believes the city’s budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars of spending on “non-core services” that could be reallocated.
When asked for specific examples of expenses that could be reallocated, Sim initially declined to provide any, saying, “It’s too early to tell right now.” When pressed, Sim cited the example of the city council spending over $300,000 on office furniture, as described in a 2020 Global news report.
Sim, a CPA and businessman, said he was “very confident” about the estimated $20 million annual cost.
But Mayor Kennedy Stewart, who is running for reelection with another new party called Forward Together, said Sim’s cost estimate was “ridiculously low.”
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Additionally, Stewart argued that Vancouver council cannot make operational decisions about how the Vancouver Police Department or Vancouver Coastal Health use their resources, adding, “I think Ken Sim’s latest promise is deliberately misleading.”
“However, there is a solution, and that is what is key,” Stewart said, emphasizing the importance of providing stable housing and supportive services for the homeless and marginalized.
Stewart also wants more mental health resources, she said, “but what we’re really lacking is housing.”
Stewart pointed out that yes BC Housing’s 129-unit social housing project approved by council in July. In that controversial decision, two ABC councilors, Lisa Dominato and Rebecca Bligh, supported the bill, and the party’s third councilor, Sarah Kirby-Yung, voted No.
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Sim recently told CKNW Radio presenter Jas Johal that he too would have opposed the construction of social housing, citing the lack of an “overall strategic plan”.
Speaking Monday, Stewart said that Sim’s opposition to the Kitsilano social housing project, which was enthusiastically supported by BC cabinet ministers, “destroys trust with higher governments” and shows “how judge what Ken Sim will actually do as mayor.
Count Colleen Hardwick, who is running for mayor with TEAM, said Sim’s nurses and cops proposal was “all sizzle and no steak.”
“All police departments in British Columbia face huge recruitment challenges and large numbers of nurses have left their profession. Where would Mr. Sim find 100 of each in these trying times, and with the skills and experience needed for such a challenging job? Hardwick said in an emailed statement.
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“TEAM also questions its budget on the back of the envelope when so much more is required for such an important company.”
Progress Vancouver mayoral candidate Mark Marissen also emphasized the importance of housing in his response to Sim, saying, “This is bringing a water gun to a wildfire. It just keeps people in tents, has the city evict them periodically, and does nothing to fix the root problem of homelessness. Either Ken doesn’t understand, or he is choosing to let the higher governments off the hook.”
Reached for comment, the Non-Partisan Association sent a statement from council candidate Arezo Zarrabian, who said: “Although more mental health workers and police officers will be a welcome addition, they will not come close to solving this complex problem. … We need policies in place for crime prevention that allow our police to keep the city safe. We need to make sure treatment and prevention services are provided in addition to harm reduction.”
Vancouver Police Union President Ralph Kaisers said the VPD is desperately short of staff right now, and any candidate for mayor or councilor making campaign promises about increasing the department’s resources and staff would be ” A step in the right direction, certainly, from our perspective.”
