Vancouver police form team to deal with surge in pandemic-related hate incidents

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Vancouver police have formed a special team of investigators to deal with a wave of harassment incidents targeting members of the city’s East Asian community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team of six officers and an incident commander, operating in addition to the force’s single hate-crimes investigator, has been on the job for weeks. Its presence was disclosed on Friday as the department provided an update on harassment numbers at its fourth news conference on the trend since April.

Inspector Dale Weidman, incident commander of the new team, told the news conference that such units are generally assembled to deal with specific issues, but this is the first he can recall for hate crimes.

He said he expects it will operate, with resources increasing and decreasing as required, until harassment numbers subside to the norm of about 11 incidents a month overall.

Rob Gordon, a criminologist at Simon Fraser University, said it was striking to see the Vancouver force assemble a team to focus on the issue.

“They’re obviously taking it seriously,” he said in an interview. He added that he assumes police fear “a snowball effect:” If they don’t move decisively, people will assume weakness or police disinterest, which could lead to an escalation in the incidents and an increase in severity.

“It’s a serious deployment of resources,” he said.

On Friday, Vancouver police said they are dealing with 155 hate-associated reports this year, up from 69 for the same time in 2019. In that year, Insp. Weidman said, seven were aimed at people of Asian background, and the number is 66 so far this year. Others targeted have included members of the LGBTQ+ and Black communities, although the inspector added that the most marked increase has involved the Asian community.

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is believed to have started in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

He said it is clear many incidents are related to the pandemic, with comments that indicate the attackers believe the victims are somehow responsible for the situation, although he said intent is never fully clear until offenders are arrested.

While 103 of the 155 hate-associated files have been concluded due to the lack of a suspect or evidence to identify a suspect, officers could reopen them if additional evidence arises. Meanwhile, police are recommending that the Crown lay charges such as threatening, assault and mischief in 16 files. An additional 19 cases are being actively investigated.

The inspector said, for example, police are recommending a charge of assault in a March attack on a 92-year-old man of East Asian background with dementia in an East Vancouver convenience store.

Police released a surveillance video that shows the suspect yelling at the victim, and shoving him out of the store, which caused him to fall and hit his head. Police have said the suspect’s comments include remarks about COVID-19.

Insp. Weidman said it takes time for the Crown to approve charges, especially given the logistical complications created by the pandemic. Police are recommending charges based on incidents, and the Crown then has to decide if there is an element of hate that would be a mitigating factor in the prosecution. “They’re being careful and they’re reviewing everything,” he said, referring to all of the proposed charges.

He also said such crimes are challenging to solve, noting that someone can spray offensive comments on a wall, but without video it can be difficult to determine who did it and when.

Or, he said, victims of racist comments may be unsure whether they should report them, leading to a delay in reaching out to police and a lack of “tangible evidence.”

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