A commentary by a Victoria city councillor. These are her views, not the position of ­council.

Is Victoria finally ready to tackle the problems of crime and disorder on our streets?

Victoria city council’s long-awaited blueprint for making the city “a livable, safe, and welcoming community” has just been released and endorsed by city council. This report, titled Victoria’s Community Safety and Well-being Plan lays out a wide-ranging and comprehensive plan with 99 recommendations.

This report is timely because crime and fear of crime on our streets and in our neighbourhoods remain the number one concern of residents and business owners.

The costs of disorder on our streets to Victoria taxpayers are large: $15 million in operational costs and more than $3 million to social services providers over two years.

The toll of human misery evident on our streets cannot be reckoned in dollars but is heartbreaking to witness.

Is the community safety and well-being plan the answer to the problems that have bedevilled us for a decade? Do we now have a pathway out of the blight of drugs and hopelessness on our streets?

I wish that it were, but I am afraid that it is not.

The report fails because it misses one clear and ineluctable truth — the disorder on our streets is the result of the city’s failure to come to grips with illegal drug use. The........

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