Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / A look at the former Island 22 homeless camp at 45645 Cartmell Road in Chilliwack. The camp has since been dismantled. According to statistics released by the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment in Chilliwack, police say the 130 people associated with the now-dismantled camp accounted for 734 total files in the UFVRD, and were linked to 903 total police files in the Lower Mainland.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack RCMP

Chilliwack RCMP say Island 22 homeless camp involved hundreds of police files

Mar 5, 2024 | 11:45 AM

CHILLIWACK — The Island 22 homeless encampment wasn’t just an unsightly mess where squatters lived unlawfully and multiple fires occurred in 2023.

According to statistics released by the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment in Chilliwack, police say the 130 people associated with the now-dismantled camp accounted for 734 total files in the UFVRD, and were linked to 903 total police files in the Lower Mainland.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / One of many trailers at the former Island 22 homeless camp at 45645 Cartmell Road in Chilliwack. The camp has since been dismantled.

During the period of January 1 through December 31, 2023, Chilliwack RCMP logged a 93 per cent increase in calls for service to the area surrounding the Cartmell Road encampment compared to the same period in 2022.

In 2022, there were nine reported crimes against persons at the encampment. That number doubled to 19 in 2023.

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While property crime incidents remained roughly the same year over year (26 in 2023 versus 23 in 2022), other Criminal Code offences nearly tripled from 11 in 2022 to 31 in 2023. These constitute cause disturbances, weapons calls and breach of conditions.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / A burned out trailer outside of the Island 22 homeless camp, which has since been dismantled.

The number of “other occurrences” nearly doubled in 2023 compared to 2022, increasing from 58 to 120 year over year. These “other” offences are defined as suspicious occurrences, well-being checks, traffic files, shots fired, missing persons cases, and bylaw incidents.

RCMP Superintendent Davy Lee is slated to address these crime stats and other quarterly crime reports at Tuesday’s Chilliwack council meeting at 2 p.m.