Crime on the rise? Half of B.C. residents fear for safety, poll finds [Video]

Less than one month before voters cast their ballots in the provincial election, a new poll of British Columbians found half of respondents fear for their safety in their own communities.

The Research Co. poll of 1,200 people was conducted for Save Our Streets, a community safety organization.

“When the statistics say that 50 per cent of all British Columbians feel unsafe in their communities, that should be a head-snapping wake up call to the politicians about the survivability of downtowns throughout the province,” said Clint Mahlman, chief operating officer of London Drugs and co-founder of Save Our Streets.

Fifty-eight per cent of people surveyed said they feel the level of criminal activity in their communities has increased over the past four years.

In Vancouver and Surrey, the province’s two largest cities, police report crime is actually down through the first six months of this year compared to last.

“Unfortunately, …