The Park Royal Problem: Wake Up, West Vancouver

Our children deserve to feel safe. What are we doing to make that happen?

A few years ago, one Saturday afternoon, my son and his friend were robbed at Metrotown by other young people carrying bear spray. My son was frightened and felt belittled. He did the right thing and called the police. But calling the police did not make the experience disappear.

Since then, I have noticed a change in him. He worries about it happening again. Sometimes that worry comes out as an effort to appear tougher than he feels. As his mother, I recognize the difference between the image he projects and the boy I know. An experience like that can take a long time to process. We encourage our children to become independent, catch the bus get off social media and meet their friends. Then something happens that makes those ordinary freedoms feel less safe.

I am sharing this because I have seen what being a victim can leave behind.

A few weeks ago, a friend told me their child had been with a group of friends when they were robbed at Park Royal, on a Saturday afternoon. According to the file shared with me, one of the children approached nearby store staff but was told they could not help. The incident reportedly happened in the middle of the mall, without anyone intervening to stop it. One of the children eventually found help. I was told the suspects were later arrested at McDonald’s and subsequently released.

What was shared with me raises serious questions. When a child asks for help during a robbery, what is supposed to happen and did it happen here? What is happening in our community? Park Royal is a natural meeting place for teenagers. They go there to see friends, get something to eat and enjoy some independence. They should be able to do that without being threatened or robbed.

Concerns about youth violence in the area have been raised before.

In July 2023, West Vancouver police warned about youth violence around Park Royal and Ambleside. They identified seven incidents involving bear spray, two files involving knives and one involving an imitation firearm. A District staff report dated April 5, 2024 subsequently recorded an increase in West Vancouver police files involving both youth and bear spray, from eight in 2022 to sixteen in 2023.

Police Board minutes from September 2024 also describe a sustained police presence at Park Royal and Ambleside for youth violence prevention and outreach. These figures describe those years, rather than the number of incidents happening today. They document an increase in youth-related bear spray files between 2022 and 2023, but we need updated information to understand the situation now. I know it is happening as I see it on Block Watch reports, however, why is it not being documented and reported with the West Vancouver Police? What I want to understand is what is happening today.

How many incidents involving young people and weapons are being reported? Where are they happening? What measures are working, and where do families and businesses still need support? Parents need a clear, current picture. So do the young people spending time there.

I would like West Vancouver Police and Park Royal management to explore a temporary police base near McDonald’s. I am thinking of a visible location that officers regularly work from, particularly during afternoons, evenings and weekends when teenagers gather. It could serve as a base for foot patrols and an obvious safe place to seek help. It could also give officers more opportunities to get to know young people, staff and business owners before a crisis occurs. We could also have parent volunteers on staff.

The location, staffing, hours and cost would need to be worked through with the relevant partners. A pilot would allow them to assess whether it improves response times, reduces incidents and helps people feel safer. I think that is worth exploring.

Teenagers and community should feel welcome at Park Royal. A visible police presence should help protect people’s ability to enjoy being there. Asking for help must lead to action.

The part of my friend’s story that stays with me is that a child reportedly approached store staff. That is exactly what we tell our children to do: find an adult, go into a business and ask for help. We need to be confident there is a clear response when they follow that advice. I do not expect a store employee to physically confront someone who may have a weapon. Staff have their own safety to consider. But they need to know how to summon help, contact security and support a frightened child while assistance is on its way.

I would like Park Royal management to explain what procedures are in place and how businesses and staff are made aware of them. Can a young person wait somewhere safe? Who calls security or police? Who makes sure the child is not left alone or sent back into the same situation? These are practical questions. Clear procedures and staff training could make a significant difference at the moment a child needs help most. What happens after an arrest? For a family whose child has been robbed, hearing that suspects were arrested and then released can be difficult to understand. Release alone does not tell us whether an investigation is continuing or what action may follow. But families should not be left guessing.

They need to understand what can be shared with them, who to contact and what to do if there are further threats. They also need to know what support is available for their child.

I recognize that police may be limited in what they can disclose, especially when young people are involved. Within those limits, communication and follow-through still matter.

The immediate incident may be over. For the child, the worry may be beginning.

Alongside our response to violence, we need to ask a difficult question: why are some young people choosing to threaten and rob other kids? Understanding what drives those choices matters if we want to prevent more children from being hurt.

Teenagers want to belong. They care about how their friends see them, and they are still learning how to handle fear, rejection and conflict. Social media can intensify those pressures. An argument can continue all evening through group chats. A confrontation can be filmed and shared. Behaviour that frightens or humiliates someone can attract attention and approval. I worry about what that teaches young people about respect and how they earn it.

As parents, we need to ask what our children are seeing, what is happening among their friends and whether they feel comfortable saying no. We need to help them understand that walking away does not make them weak, and that a good friend will respect their boundaries. We also need to make clear that intimidation and violence are unacceptable.

Just as importantly, we need to give teenagers opportunities to feel capable, connected and valued. That might be a part-time job, music, sport, learning a practical skill or helping with a community project. Purpose can begin with a responsibility they take pride in and people who notice their contribution.

That is why I am so happy to hear that the planned youth space in West Vancouver is expected to be built out within the next year. This could be a wonderful place for young people to go, spend time with friends, explore their interests and connect with supportive adults. I look forward to seeing it take shape.

To make the most of that opportunity, young people need a say in what happens there. What activities would bring them through the doors? What hours would work for them? What would make them feel welcome and want to return? West Vancouver already has youth spaces, programs and people doing valuable work. Building on that support gives us an opportunity to help more teenagers find friendship, confidence and a sense of belonging.

Our young people really need to be part of shaping their community more than ever. They deserve places where they feel safe, where they are heard and where they know they matter. I want my children to enjoy growing up here. I want them to meet friends, become independent and discover who they are. I also want them to know that if they are threatened, there is somewhere to go and someone who will respond.

That requires cooperation between police, Park Royal management, security, businesses, schools, youth services and families. I would like to see updated local incident information, clear procedures when a young person asks for help and consistent follow-through with victims. I would also like a temporary police base near McDonald’s to receive serious consideration.

My son’s experience showed me that the impact of a robbery can last far beyond the day it happens. Hearing that another family has recently faced something similar makes these questions feel urgent in our own community. Our children deserve to feel safe and to know that asking for help will bring a response. It is our responsibility as adults to protect them. We cannot wait for a tragedy before we act. We need prevention methods now.