Stranger Attacks and Outcry: How Support Swelled Behind Mandatory Care in BC

A particularly violent stranger attack in Vancouver on Sept. 4 was a catalyst for calls to get dangerous individuals off the street through “mandatory care.” It may be seen as the straw that broke the camel’s back. Some mayors in the province had already long called for mandatory care, and Premier David Eby joined them on Sept. 15. At the annual meeting of B.C. municipal leaders this week, 10 mayors, three First Nations leaders, and Vancouver’s police chief also threw their support behind the approach. The Sept. 4 fatal attack is a particularly egregious example of the stranger attacks happening regularly across the province and the country. The suspect had more than 60 previous police interactions. The attack happened in broad daylight in front of a theatre, leaving a 70-year-old dead and another victim with a hand cut off....