Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood is in the grip of a “humanitarian crisis” of crime and violence that has reached a tipping point, Mayor Ken Sim said as he unveiled a taskforce to tackle organized crime.

A new Vancouver police task force that promises to "dismantle organized crime networks and target predatory criminals in the Downtown Eastside" will cost city taxpayers an additional $5 million per year on top of the VPD's $453 million budget for 2025.

Vancouver's mayor and police chief are launching "Task Force Barrage" to target crime and clean up the Downtown Eastside. Rumina Daya reports.

Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood is in the grip of a "humanitarian crisis" of crime and violence that has reached a tipping point, the city's mayor said, as he unveiled a taskforce to tackle organized crime.