Councillor seeks ways to make hooligans pay up

A Vancouver city councillor has some fighting words for hooligans who get into rowdy brawls in Vancouver’s entertainment district.

Melissa De Genova has tabled a motion asking staff to come up with ideas on how to crack down on those fined for scrapping on city streets.

She says an overwhelming majority of fighting fines are issued in the Granville Entertainment District.

She notes, in the motion, that homeless people and those with mental illness are not among the people typically issued fines for fighting in the district.

While police can and do ticket the offenders under a fighting bylaw, De Genova says recovering the money has become a problem.

She says there is general knowledge among people who receive fines for fighting that the punishment is minor and not on the same scale as tickets or fines issued under the Motor Vehicle Act.

She adds that when a fighting ticket goes to a collection agency, it can cost the city more than the revenue the fine would generate, if collected.

One idea could be increasing fines or have higher fines for those who have more than one infraction.

The motion points to the example of distracted driving penalties, which can rise to $2,000 if the driver receives two or more tickets in a three-year period.

Another consideration could be that fines issued for fighting or similar offences be paid before people can renew their driver’s licence or buy vehicle insurance.