The Vancouver Police Department announced Task Force Barrage in mid-February, a three-pronged plan to target organized and violent crime in the neighbourhood.
A $5 million Vancouver Police Department initiative called Task Force Barrage, launched in mid-February to target crime in the Downtown Eastside, has resulted in a decrease in assaults. In its first month, the initiative saw a drop in the average number of daily assaults from four to three, and assaults involving weapons decreased by 30%. Police responded to 4,760 calls, executed 153 arrest warrants, and made 204 criminal code arrests.
