Beach bashes draw no penalties, prompting rethink, says mayor
The Vancouver Police Department will be rethinking their approach to the policing of outdoor partying, Mayor Kennedy Stewart said Sunday morning, after back-to-back nights of raucous beach parties in the city went unchecked.
But officials face a big challenge in trying to keep people apart given the great weather and a common desire to socialize to help relieve worries and anxieties during the COVID-19 pandemic, said one psychologist.
The latest beach bash was held at English Bay where residents could hear the revelry run late. A public health order limits outdoor gatherings to 10 people to help slow the spread of COVID-19, but footage of the party puts attendance estimates into scores of people.
Stewart addressed the partying in a series of posts on Twitter Sunday. Stewart spoke to Chief Constable Adam Palmer and said the VPD would be “reassessing their approach” to the parties, but said police have better things to do with their time, citing their need to respond to a gang-related weekend shooting in Coal Harbour.
“I know it's been a long winter, I know it's frustrating not being able to see your friends, but now is not the time to be gathering in large groups,” Stewart said.
It was unclear who sparked the conversation between the mayor and the police chief.
The mayor's comments came after a party on Friday night at Kitsilano Beach and a day of heavy attendance at parks around the city.
Park rangers were on patrol during the party at English Bay and they responded by notifying the VPD, said City of Vancouver spokeswoman Kirsten Langan. That is the procedure when rangers encounter a group of people that is blatantly disregarding the public health order and putting people at risk, she said. All of the VPD's resources were tied up and by the time officers arrived the size of the crowd had decreased, said Tania Visintin, a VPD spokeswoman. No tickets were handed out.