See someone sent out the bat light. How can I help Been out in the sun last few - about boody time!

Burnaby - I work major crime which includes murders and frankly i wouldn;t hesitate to live there. When I think of the murders last year, most were gang shootings and one was a domestic murder. I think there was about 4. 3-4 is the norm.

Bad areas of burnaby are in the south east, close to the new west boarder, although the city has really improved these areas over the past 10 years that i've worked there. The area is known for low level street prostitution and drugs. Lots of lower income areas and project style housing. I'd avoid these areas, althogh there are pockets that aren't bad. It's all relative and not as bad as Manchester. The onetime I almost shot someone was in that area.

Stay away from the Kingsway corridor - when i worked patrol two thirds of calls were along there - the mall and the stores and the 'crime train' didn't help. Still generally safe though.

As far as gangs go, there are a Hells Angels and some tired remnants of traditional organsied crime (yes the Mafia), but they are zero concern, both groups live in the area but defintately don't shit on their own patch - they are of little concern to us, but we keep an eye on them. I'd be more concerned about violent street gangs - there are non established in Burnaby -and the hits are usually related to something in Vancouver. They do pass through from time to time, but usually in the south end of the city.

North Burnaby has very low crime - more of the nusiance variety - there will be a rash of break ins from time to time, but that happens just about everywhere. I was bored when I worked in north burnaby - which is good when a copper says that.

North Burnaby has excellent links to Vancouver - 17 mins in heavier traffic to gastown. Very walkable, nice shops and restaurants, community feel and awesome park at Barnett Marine. There is a Italian influence in the area which adds a lot of character - check out Capitol Hill and Vancouver Heights.

The heavily media driven shootings took place over a year ago now and was largely a drug turf battle between teh red scorpions and the UN - I worked a number of them and there were many arrests. Besides only one shooting happened in Burnaby on North Road which was not related to the rash of shootings and we have charged 2 people in that. Most of the other shooting were in the valley and only one was on the west side of vancouver.

Like everywhere i the LMD there are likely a numer of grow houses in the city.

All secondary schools have police liaison officers assigned to them. I've never been invovled in any serious investigations at a school in Burnaby. They are as safe as they can be.

Hope that helps

It wasn't an isolated incident - it was a regular thing. The article was bragging about how much the school had improved their grades but went on to say that lockers being set on fire etc still happened all the time. Don't remember the name of the school - just that it was in Vancouver.

I know about the catchment areas, that's why I'm looking for decent areas to live. I understand what you mean about communities being different on the internet though - you can only really get a basic idea from pics on the internet and google maps.

Thank you. That is a brilliant help. OH was panicking when he read about gangs and murders and was thinking about moving to Toronto instead. He will feel a lot better when he reads this.

I will check out the areas you mentioned - a place with a bit of character would be nice.

Would it be ok if I PM you sometime? OH is going to college then hoping to apply to join the police, so we might need some advice.

It couldn't have been that newsworthy, I never heard about it, and any serious offences/safety concerns are relayed to use via a daily breifing from Vancouver Police - I never saw anything.

Feel free to PM me any time. Good luck

I like White Rock too, but there are no ski hills here. The snow would melt in the almost sub-tropical climate.

<ducks into cover>

Another plug for Burnaby:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/07/22/t...ity-in-canada/

Burnaby is one of the wealthiest cities in Canada and one of the few with balanced books.

at the idea of no gangs in Toronto. ahem. sorry.

I re-read it and it sounds like the worst of the problems were about six years ago, which is why it probably doesn't ring any bells. Here's the link to the article:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/new...652/story.html

I hope you don't mind me asking but we were looking at North and West Vancouver, how's the crime rate there?

Hi Michelle - From what I've read so far North Vancouver has very little crime. I've been checking up mostly on violent crime and murder, so I'm not sure about car theft, burglary etc though.

Thanks - there's just so much to think about!

This is a useful post, thanks to the OP and those that have replied. Looks like rentals in Burnaby are much more affordable than some of other places that I've seen online.

Simon