Not too surprising...
New study shows higher incidence of violent crime in poor Vancouver neighbourhoods, theft in wealthier ones
A new study co-authored by Simon Fraser University researchers has found a rise in violent crime in Vancouver's poorer neighbourhoods during the pandemic, while wealthier areas saw a small uptick in theft-related crimes.
"During the pandemic we found that overall, crime tends to increase more in marginalized areas within the city," said professor Martin Andresen
in a statement.
Andresen and co-author Tarah Hodgkinson of Wilfrid Laurier University found that between March 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021, arson, assault, robbery and weapon-related offences increased in the downtown core, as well as in the neighbourhoods of Strathcona and Mount Pleasant.
Meanwhile, the average monthly number of theft incidents went down in all of Vancouver.
The central business district downtown and surrounding areas saw a decrease in theft of vehicle and theft from vehicle crimes, according to the study.
Andresen says this can be attributed to the fact that many businesses were closed during parts of the pandemic and employees had to work from home.
"For the people who ended up living in Vancouver and working downtown, they were no longer downtown which is where a lot of these crimes happened normally," he said.
However, more affluent neighbourhoods, like Kerrisdale, Dunbar-Southlands and West Point Grey saw a slight increase in theft-related incidents.