Vancouver's skyline and crime are both on the rise

Vancouver's skyline and crime are both on the rise. Sue Frause photo.

I wasn't surprised when I read the opening paragraph of a news article in The Seattle Times on Sunday:

"With its spectacular bay and stunning, snowcapped peaks, Vancouver easily ranks as one of the world's most beautiful cities. But in recent months, the people of Canada's Olympic city have been living in fear. As the city prepares to host the 2010 Winter Games, its crime rate is going up. Since January, there have been 44 shootings in the region, 17 of them fatal."

Here's the rest of the story: Ahead of 2010 Olympics, violence stalks Vancouver. The Province has a story of its own, about the upcoming release of an Indo-Canadian mobster from jail: Brace for gang war, police warn

It's not going to change my like affair with Vancouver -- I'll continue to take Amtrak Cascades from Seattle or Everett. There's no need to drive; plus, several years ago we had our car broken into while staying overnight in the city. But Vancouver obviously needs to get a handle on this upsurge in crime: both for its residents and visitors.