Nearly 100 serious injuries and 20 fatalities occurred in 2015 in Vancouver due to collisions. While there are many reasons for the increased collisions, the most prevalent are impaired/distracted drivers. Additional law enforcement officers are needed to take part in the DUI enforcement emphasis program that brings law enforcement officers from local jurisdictions to target specifically identified troubled areas. Unfortunately, the cost of training and recruiting new police officers is exceptionally high.
Currently, the Vancouver Police Department does not have enough funding to add police officers. VPD has to do much more with significantly less. If the VPD does not receive the funding, the collision rate, fatalities, and serious injuries will continue to escalate.
One of the main resolutions includes increasing funding by $2.4 million, which would allow the VPD to hire police officers. The newly hired police officers would be able to identify intersections that have a higher collision rate and target them for increased traffic control. The VPD cannot accomplish this goal on its own.
The Vancouver City Council needs to hear from the community at the council meetings on March 14 and 28. Have your voice be heard.
