Does Vancouver have a bad reputation? Safety concerns voiced to mayor

"The non-stop graffiti and defecation and needles in doorways is disgusting." A special safety meeting held at Vancouver City Hall Thursday night gave people a chance to speak directly to the mayor about their concerns.

A special safety meeting held at Vancouver City Hall Thursday night gave members of the public and several organizations a chance to speak directly to the mayor about their concerns.

A variety of topics were covered at the meeting that stretched into the evening, but a common theme was that speakers feel Vancouver is starting to get a bad reputation internationally.

The reputation stems from visitors and residents themselves not feeling safe, speakers said.

Concerns mentioned in the meeting included issues with violence, vandalism and hate crime, and some said the overall reputation of the city has taken a hit.

More than 60 speakers signed up to present, but only seven had time to speak. Those who did shared powerful messages.

Council heard from representatives of associations like the Vancouver Board of Trade and Destination Vancouver. They said rising violence and open drug use in the city is impacting businesses that are still struggling to recover from the pandemic.

Tourism officials also said they're hearing the city is becoming less attractive. It's not only that tourists don't want to visit, they said, but tourism officials don't want to attend conferences in the city.