Recent VPD beach sweeps have prompted debate about the hours at Vancouver beaches and parks.
The City of Vancouver told Daily Hive that parks, beaches, and gardens are open between 6 am and 10 pm unless otherwise posted.
Photos and videos have been shared online of VPD officers sweeping a Vancouver beach. A number of city councillors and Vancouver residents are voicing concerns about it, while others support it.
Some comments on this X thread suggested that the enforcement of the 10 pm closure of beaches and parks is in response to folks having parties late into the night, disturbing neighbours.
this is crazy if true. I hope there is more to it, maybe they were drinking or leaving garbage or something. Ive never encountered cops giving me a problem at the beach at night
— Justin (@Frankoncharles) June 24, 2024
Vancouver councillor Pete Fry had thoughts on the issue in response to this post on X from a resident who complained about the hours.
it’s absolutely wild we’ve let VPD ban watching the sunset, something the city is literally known for and is a major tourism Top 10 pic.twitter.com/wB74zMg8zk
— Blair (@blurr_65) June 23, 2024
“Hopefully, [the] City’s rep on Police Board [Mayor Ken Sim] has comments on this operational decision. When we approved $.5m in additional police funding last month to facilitate ‘drinking on beach pilot’ – mass sweeps to deny sunset viewers wasn’t [the] articulated goal,” he said in his reply.
We asked Fry if he’d elaborate on his feelings about the hours, and he said he respects the Vancouver Park Board’s autonomy and authority to set hours for accessing beaches and parks.
“I suggest that preventing beachgoers from enjoying the sunset seems excessive and unnecessary, certainly on a large, well-used beach with the best sunset view in town,” Fry told Daily Hive.
For and against Vancouver beach hours
Sunset at Second Beach (Max Lindenthaler/Shutterstock)
A recent Reddit thread also prompted discussion on the Vancouver beach hours.
One user sarcastically quipped, “Good. I’m sick of these sunset watchers, just thinking they can sit down on a log on a beach in OUR CITY. Enough is enough. I’m glad the City is finally doing something about this plague.”
“It’s a beach. Why should it close at all? Absolutely ridiculous,” another person said.
Others support the beach sweeps for reasons pertaining to crime.
“I’m a dispatcher. Assaults, robberies, stabbings, bear sprayings have been a daily occurrence, especially in crowded areas. It’s an attempt to disperse the crowds before dark for more control over the violence,” said another Redditor.
“As someone who is familiar with the crowds that gather there from my experience in high school, especially the younger ones, it’s sadly necessary for VPD to do this,” said someone in support of the previous comment.
“Drunkenness, disorder, fights…”
Pascal Huot/Shutterstock
The Vancouver Police Department had a lot to say about what necessitated this need for enforcing the beach hours.
“While the vast majority of beachgoers are an absolute pleasure to have around, over the past few summers, a small number of people have been causing a lot of trouble after dark,” the VPD told Daily Hive.
“Drunkenness, disorder, fights, and sexual assaults have become more common after dark at English Bay, as well as noise complaints from people who live nearby and deserve some peace a quiet after the sun goes down.”
VPD also responded to the photos that have been shared online.
“Today, we’ve seen lots of people react online to a picture posted on social media that shows police officers walking on the beach at English Bay on Saturday night. Some of the comments are misinformed. Others lack important context.”
The VPD added they attend the beach at the request of the Vancouver Park Board to support Park Rangers. VPD officers engage with beachgoers, reminding them to pack garbage and encouraging them to find another place to end their evenings.
“We do this to reduce the number of fights, assaults, and disorder that occur on the beach when the sun goes down.”
We’ll turn the debate to you. How do you feel about enforcing closing hours at public spaces like beaches and parks? Let us know in the comments.