Needs More Spikes

Enforcing ‘community’ through Block Watch

The Block Watch program promotes a vision of neighbourhoods and community based on surveillance and displacement.

authorJanuary 3, 2021

Junk buildings

The Northern Junk development proposal includes defensive architecture and promotes its tenants’ ability to surveil Reeson Park as a “crime prevention through environmental design” benefit to meet city requirements.

authorNovember 12, 2020

VicPD and the "thin blue line"

FOI records show internal VicPD debate on the “thin blue line” symbol.

authorOctober 5, 2020

VicPD on de-escalation

Internally, Chief Manak criticized the idea that social workers could deescalate a conflict. They can, and they do.

authorJuly 14, 2020

Saanich PD and VicPD files on school property

Given that the board is preparing to welcome VicPD’s school liaison officers back into SD61 schools, it’s incumbent on the board to understand the effects police have on students’ lives.

authorApril 6, 2020

Defensive architecture on tour (Part 2)

Needs More Spikes’ defensive architecture tour wraps up this week, starting with Oak Bay.

authorMarch 15, 2020

Defensive architecture on tour (Part 1)

Part one of a defensive architecture tour of the CRD.

authorMarch 3, 2020

All lights, all the time

An FOI shows VicPD dreams of a “steady blue light pilot,” to have lights on their cars all the time so people feel like they’re being watched.

authorJanuary 19, 2020

B.C. police departments disproportionately street check Indigenous and Black people

Over a decade of data obtained from B.C.’s municipal police departments through Freedom of Information requests show the departments disproportionately street check Indigenous and Black people.

authorDecember 16, 2019

Keeping police out of Victoria and Esquimalt schools

VicPD’s draft 2020 budget includes the “Potential return of the School Resource Officers,” and it’s time those with power over the program started asking why the police are allowed anywhere near the public school system.

authorNovember 11, 2019

Shorter walls are in for 2019, but defensive architecture is still defensive architecture

Victoria City Council is considering a report about whether one of the Pandora Avenue fences will stay up, because they think it might be too tall and too spiky. No matter what size it is, it won’t change its intent.

authorOctober 23, 2019

School district removes Spring Ridge Commons furniture

In February, the principal of Vic High responded to a complaint about drug use in Spring Ridge Commons by telling his colleagues the Commons was “a cesspool.” Later that same week, SD61 began a months-long project to remove furniture and seating in the Commons, to displace homeless people and people who use drugs.

authorAugust 20, 2019