organized crime group took over part of low-income rooming house in downtown eastside: vpd
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vancouver police said wednesday that thousands of dollars in stolen property and drugs had been seized during the six-month investigation.
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three people have been arrested in connection with a significant drug and weapons bust at a downtown eastside rooming house, as concerns grow about the presence of organized crime groups in the neighbourhood.
vancouver police said wednesday that thousands of dollars in stolen property had been seized from rooms at the west hotel at 488 carrall st. during a raid in late september, the result of a six-month investigation.
“despite a drop in violence throughout the downtown eastside, there are continued concerns about criminal activity impacting the community,” said vpd spokesman sgt. steve addison in a statement. “as a result of this investigation, we’ve dismantled an organized criminal network that had taken over part of a building meant for low-income residents.”
dawn gladstone, who tends bar at the ground floor pub in the hotel, was working the day of the police raid on sept. 25. she had just come out of the cooler when police burst into the pub shouting that everyone was under arrest.
“there were, like, 20 seniors drinking beer,” gladstone said. “it was a bit much.”
gladstone said gang activity in the area had definitely been getting worse in the seven years since she had been working at the west pub. the raid was the first she knew of in her time working there but said there was an immediate impact.
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“everything has been calmer down here,” she said.
during the six-week probe, addison said officers from task force barrage gathered evidence about the activities of a criminal network operating in the west pub and using several suites inside the west hotel to traffick drugs, weapons and stolen property.
vancouver police said wednesday that thousands of dollars in stolen property had also been seized during the six-month investigation.
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he said the rooms weren’t being lived in but were used instead to store stolen property, weapons and illicit drugs.
dtes advocates said it was disappointing and distressing to hear about alleged criminal groups operating in sro units in proximity to other residents and out of rooms that are supposed to provide affordable housing.
“it’s unfortunate to hear,” said amanda burrows, executive director of the first united church, about the allegations of criminal activity at the west hotel.
she isn’t familiar with the sro, but spoke broadly of public safety concerns caused by the presence of organized crime in the dtes.
“it’s important to protect this neighbourhood. we don’t want our vulnerable population preyed upon, but more enforcement and cops aren’t the solution,” she said, calling for more investment in housing, recovery and community safety.
addison said an investigation was launched in august to target criminal activity occurring in the area of carrall and east hastings streets. that intersection, along with main and hastings, historically has the highest frequency of violent crime in vancouver, resulting in continuing safety concerns from residents and business owners in the area, according to addison.
leona gallant and shannon maghrebian-chairity (right) speak after the arrests and seizures by police
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shannon maghrebian-chairity, a longtime local resident, said gang activity in the neighbourhood has increased over the years but alleged most of what she called the ‘facilitators’ — higher-level operators that control the drug and weapon supplies — come from outside vancouver, including abbotsford, toronto and montreal.
three men in their 50s — none of them dtes residents — were arrested by police on sept. 25 as part of the west hotel raid.
criminal charges haven’t yet been laid but investigators seized $35,000 in cash, and 2 1/2 kilograms of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, crystal meth and hydromorphone pills. they also recovered $30,000 in stolen clothing and other retail merchandise; 44 knives, machetes and swords; a taser; nine guns and ammunition; and four sets of body armour.
“it’s concerning,” said sarah blyth, executive director of the overdose prevention society, especially as the neighbourhood faces dwindling affordable housing options due to rising maintenance costs and rents.
“these are supposed to be places for low-income people to live in.”
blyth questioned whether the owners or operators knew about the rooms being used for allegedly nefarious purposes.
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“i have no idea if they know something like this was going on,” she said. “if they do, then shame on them for not dealing with it.”
across the street from the west hotel, fred, who didn’t want his last name used, was sitting in a lawn chair in front of a recent mural about elder abuse by vancouver graffiti artist smokey-d. a senior who’s lived in the neighbourhood for 18 years, fred knew plenty of stories about the hotel.
”arrive with a tag, leave in a bag,” he said of the hotel. “and you can quote me on that.”
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