Chinatown business break-ins up 275% in first half of 2026
One of the most recent crimes occurred at the Tasty Market & Café on East Georgia Street at Gore Avenue, where a large window remained boarded up Monday.
Business break-ins in Vancouver's Chinatown have surged by 275% in the first half of 2026, according to the Vancouver Police Department. District 5, established to serve Downtown Eastside, Gastown, Hastings Crossing, and Chinatown, has seen a significant increase in such incidents. On August 10, a suspect smashed his way into Tasty Market & Café on East Georgia Street, while another break-in occurred at Tosi Market on Main Street in mid-July following the death of its owner.
A Nigerian restaurant, VanSuya, was broken into on July 26, with suspects stealing liquor and other valuables. Police confirmed that while the rest of District 5 and the Strathcona neighborhood has not experienced a similar rise in break-ins, the trend is concentrated in Chinatown. Merchants are now more likely to report incidents, leading to the increase in recorded crimes, despite the presence of more officers on foot patrol.
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