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 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.