May 12, 2026 - Minutes
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Community Safety Committee
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Date: |
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 |
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Place: |
Anderson Room |
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Present: |
Councillor Alexa Loo, Chair |
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Also Present: |
Councillor Carol Day Councillor Michael Wolfe (by teleconference) |
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Call to Order: |
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. |
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MINUTES |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on April 14, 2026, be adopted. |
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CARRIED |
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The Chair advised that FIFA Planning update for Community Safety Committee will be added as Item No. 6A, and Seedlings Child Care Centre door security concern will be added at Item No. 6B to the agenda. |
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LAW AND COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION |
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1. |
(File Ref. No. 09-5375-01) (REDMS No. 8382523) |
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In response to queries from Committee, Judy Valsonis, Executive Director, Touchstone Family Association (Touchstone), advised that (i) the Driver Diversion Program, administered by the Richmond RCMP, offers drivers the option to participate in the program instead of receiving a fine. Participants must meet strict completion requirements, and facilitators receive extensive training, (ii) although referral numbers were higher before the pandemic, they have steadily rebuilt over the past several years, showing increasing consistency and renewed engagement each year, (iii) all referrals to the Restorative Justice (RJ) program come directly from the RCMP, and (vi) 85 percent of individuals referred to the RJ Program did not reoffend. |
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Discussion ensued with respect to (i) ICBC’s participation in the Driver Diversion program, (ii) increasing awareness and engagement through the business community’s participation and partnership (iii) program participation and trends over the last 12 years, (iv) expanding the Driver Diversion program into schools, and (v) the cost of the program being comparatively lower versus the costs associated to taking cases to court. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the report titled “Touchstone Family Association Restorative Justice Annual Performance Outcome Evaluation Report for 2025” from the General Manager, Law and Community Safety, dated April 16, 2026, be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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2. |
Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report - March 2026 (File Ref. No. 12-8375-02) (REDMS No. 8377406) |
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In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that the Canada Post strike was a factor in the delayed licence renewals. Renewal deadlines were extended, reminder emails and follow-ups were sent to residents in arrears, and 900 new sign-ups were secured, with related revenue reflected in future reporting. |
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Discussion ensued with respect to the removal of the Richmond Hospital parking structure and the resulting increase in hospital visitors parking at the Gateway Theatre, where parking rates are higher. |
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As a result of the discussion the following referral motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That staff explore options for parking rate reductions at the Gateway Theatre outside of event or performance hours, and report back. |
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The question on the referral motion was not called as discussion ensued with respect to (i) exploring parking rates comparable to Richmond Hospital’s rate or other options to help reduce costs for families, (ii) staff efforts to accommodate parking overflow from the hospital, and (iii) looking at options for possible free parking such as what was offered during the pandemic when the Province had waived parking fees for the hospital. |
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In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) 241 parking permits have been allocated to hospital staff, (ii) the parking rate is $3 an hour at the Gateway Theatre, and (iii) staff can analyze parking volume data by time. |
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The question on the referral motion was then called and it was CARRIED. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the report titled “Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report - March 2026”, from the General Manager, Law and Community Safety, dated April 17, 2026, be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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3. |
Richmond Fire-Rescue Monthly Activity Report – March 2026 (File Ref. No. 09-5140-01) (REDMS No. 8378210) |
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Discussion ensued with respect to a breakdown of the “other overdose incidents” reported in March and any related trends or triggers. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the report titled “Richmond Fire-Rescue Activity Report – March 2026”, from the General Manager, Law and Community Safety, dated April 13, 2026, be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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4. |
FIRE CHIEF BRIEFING |
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None |
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5. |
RCMP MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORT - RCMP Monthly Activity Report – March 2026 (File Ref. No. 09-5030-01) (REDMS No. 8355433) |
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Chief Supt. Chauhan noted a correction to page 72 in the Executive Summary of the report which reads “…over 100 arrests from a joint human trafficking initiative”. The narrative should read “…over 100 individuals were communicated with from a joint human trafficking initiative”. |
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In response to queries from Committee, Chief Supt. Chauhan noted that (i) RCMP members and volunteers regularly engage with businesses through business outreach and community forums, encouraging reporting of all retail offences, (ii) retail theft complaints have increased from just over 800 in 2022 to approximately 1,600 in 2025, reflecting improved communication with the business community, enforcement efforts, and the use of online reporting tools. (iii) the RCMP maintains ongoing coordination with law enforcement partners through regular information sharing and intelligence exchange. Agencies also receive intelligence and safety bulletins to support awareness of emerging risks and public safety issues, (iii) there are currently 25 prolific retail theft offenders on curfew conditions, with investigators conducting regular residence checks to ensure compliance, and (v) the Crime Severity Index, developed by Statistics Canada, measures both the volume and severity of crimes using weighted values for each offence type. Based on 2024 data released in July 2025, Richmond’s index decreased by 13.41%. Richmond continues to maintain one of the lowest violent crime rates. |
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Discussion ensued with respect to (i) Richmond RCMP partnerships with other agencies, (ii) BC Counter Human Trafficking Unit and Richmond RCMP joint operation targeting individuals using online platforms to arrange transactions involving sexual services, (iii) significant decline in social disorder calls, (iv) distracted driving violations, (v) the Crime Prevention Booklet’s spring checklist recommendation to improve home visibility by installing bright lighting. Chief Supt. Chauhan noted that he will discuss potential health concerns related to bright lights with the Block Watch Coordinator, and (vi) the importance of the Communications Unit providing public safety and crime-prevention messaging to enhance community awareness of policing-related issues. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the report titled “RCMP Monthly Activity Report – March 2026”, dated April 18, 2026, from the Officer in Charge, be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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6. |
RCMP/OIC BRIEFING |
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Sgt David Au who oversees the Economic Crime Unit, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 1) spoke to how the Richmond RCMP responds to fraud related complaints in Richmond, highlighting that that Economic Crime Unit falls under the organized crime unit umbrella comprised of seven members and their mandate is to investigate financial crimes of complex and or multi-jurisdictional/sensitive in nature that are perpetuated by crime groups and organized crime. |
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Councillor Wolfe left the meeting via teleconference (5:04 p.m.) and did not return. |
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6A. |
FIFA PLANNING UPDATE FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY COMMITTEE |
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It was noted that a staff memorandum titled FIFA Planning Update for Community Safety Committee was provided to Council (attached to and forming part of these minutes asSchedule 2) highlighting the regional planning work and the potential impacts on Richmond resulting from the FIFA World Cup 26 period, from June 11 to July 19, 2026 as well as preparatory measures being undertaken. |
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Chief Supt. Chauhan highlighted security measures for the event coordinated with the BC RCMP Security Coordination and Operation Response (SCOR 26 unit). He advised that (i) a local operational security plan is in place, including a detachment-based operations centre running daily June 8 to July 15 from 6 a.m. to midnight to support the scheduled events and ensure public safety, (ii) the plan is developed in coordination with partners including Richmond Fire-Rescue, City planners, and the Community Engagement team, with sufficient resources allocated and a focus on visible, efficient policing, and (iii) Vancouver International Airport as a FIFA Venue, operates under a separate but similarly robust security plan. |
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Acting Fire Chief Grant Wyenberg, spoke to the Richmond Fire Rescue (RFR) FIFA operational plan, developed in coordination with Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver International Airport, and Vancouver Fire Rescue Services highlighting that (i) RFR’s primary role is to ensure the safety of Richmond residents, while also supporting operations at YVR if required, (ii) a review of the hazmat program has been completed with 75% of staff currently trained and 90% expected by the end of May 2026, and (iii) trucks will have mass triage capabilities, site visits identified access points, and a scalable contingency and operations plans will be in place. |
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6B. |
SEEDLINGS CHILD CARE CENTRE DOOR SECURITY CONCERN |
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Discussion ensued with respect to the change from a FOB scanner to push-button security at the Seedlings Child Care Centre. Families expressed concerns about reduced access control and unapproved individuals entering the daycare, and requested reinstatement of the FOB system. |
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As a result of the discussion the following motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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Re-install the security fob to reinstate the same security level as was originally provided to the Seedlings Childcare. |
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CARRIED |
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7. |
MANAGER’S REPORT |
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None. |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (5:30 p.m.). |
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CARRIED |
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Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. |
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_________________________________ |
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Councillor Alexa Loo |
Raman Grewal |