Victoria Unveils $10M Safety Plan to Improve Downtown Core
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto recently announced a $10 million investment in public safety and cleanliness in the city’s downtown core, promising visible improvements by the end of the year. The funding will support the first phase of the city’s long-term Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan. This will go towards hiring nine additional police officers, 12 new bylaw officers and expanding public works, including increased street cleaning.
To finance the initiative without raising property taxes, the city will reallocate funds from existing programs, including delaying upgrades to Royal Athletic Park and Centennial Square and drawing from reserve funds. The plan includes $1.35 million for new police, $1.9 million for enhanced bylaw enforcement, $4.86 million for street and infrastructure rehabilitation and $3 million for interim housing.
