City of Victoria adds new police officers, announces other measures to clamp down on downtown disorder

The City of Victoria will spend more than $10-million on new measures to improve public safety in its downtown, its mayor announced Wednesday, an infusion of cash aimed at addressing an outcry from residents and businesses about squalor and disorder.

Nine new police officers will be either hired or redeployed to focus on the downtown and specifically the area around Pandora Avenue. More bylaw officers will be added to the neighbourhood and money has been allocated to transport vulnerable people away from the area to health and other services around the region.