Vancouver police riot review recommends against some large-scale public events

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      Vancouver police released their internal review of the June 15 riot today (September 6), which suggests the city shouldn’t host large-scale public events that concentrate large groups of young people in a small area.

      “Do not have large scale public events with 'festival seating/standing' that concentrate large crowds of young persons – particularly the young 'hooligan' demographic – who have the propensity for public drinking in a small area,” the report reads.

      However, Vancouver police chief Jim Chu told reporters following a police board meeting that live sites can still take place, but should be done differently.

      “I think there’s many opportunities to do public space events, depending on what kind of event it is,” he said.

      “When you attract a certain demographic, that’s when the radar has to go on, and we have to say look given the number of people that we’re going to be attracting to this particular event, we’re going to have to think twice about whether we want to have it.”

      Chu said one option for future live sites during the playoffs would be to open up B.C. Place, where crowd members could be screened before they enter.

      “If that was available this year, then we wouldn’t have had that problem with public space drinking that we saw,” he said.

      Chu said in the future his department will be asking the province to declare certain events as regional events.

      “Then there’s a regional funding infrastructure put in place so that event can be handled in a safe manner,” he told reporters.

      The recommended measures outlined in the internal review also include implementing "airport style screening" as a liquor interdiction measure during certain events, increasing penalties for liquor offences, and slowing down transit for crowds travelling into the city.

      "By the time many riot participants reached downtown, they were already intoxicated and/or had brought liquor to become intoxicated," the report reads.

      The report also indicates the VPD's support for the use of closed-circuit television cameras.

      Other recommendations include increasing the department's operating budget to incorporate additional funds for public safety training, and identifying equipment requirements for officers in relation to crowd management.

      The VPD’s internal report, like the external report by John Furlong and Doug Keefe released last week, indicates officers encountered problems on the night of June 15, including a delayed change to tactical gear.

      In a survey of VPD officers that were deployed to the riot, 45 percent of respondents said they didn’t have all the equipment they required. The equipment they lacked included respirators, helmets, radios, and handcuffs.

      Deputy police chief Adam Palmer told a Vancouver Police Board meeting today the department will be requesting a $160,000 increase in funding for additional kit bags, which will contain equipment including helmets and riot batons.

      On the night of the riot, a total of 22 police officers were injured, including one who received 20 stitches and suffered a concussion, according to Palmer.

      Police board members also heard an update today on the integrated riot investigation.

      VPD Insp. Les Yeo said so far 259 people have been identified, 47 have now turned themselves in, and 123 have been named through tips.

      The website that was launched last week to help identify suspected rioters has led to 11 people turning themselves in, or advising that they will do so. Yeo said investigators now have “strong leads” on 18 of the 40 rioters initially featured on the site.

      While the top charge that police are pursuing is participating in a riot, other charges being looked at include robbery, mischief, break and entry, different levels of assault, and arson.

      Yeo and Chu again defended the pace of the riot investigation, noting that police want to ensure that a suspect has not committed multiple offences before laying charges.

      “We can only charge someone for rioting once - there is no second chance,” said Yeo. “We have one kick at the can.”

      Chu said investigators are expected to finish processing 1,600 hours of video evidence by the second week of October. Once the video has been reviewed, officers will begin recommending charges to Crown counsel.

      The VPD is expected to report on its progression on the internal review recommendations in six months.

      Comments

      4 Comments

      Second Nation

      Sep 6, 2011 at 2:26pm

      More CCTV please. It will not prevent crime but it will help prosecution.

      0 0Rating: 0

      LostMyGlasses

      Sep 6, 2011 at 3:02pm

      No government has the right to spy on citizens during a peaceful assembly.

      Period.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Rain

      Sep 6, 2011 at 3:30pm

      The solution is to institutionalize celebration?

      Police state here we come...

      0 0Rating: 0

      Sheep

      Sep 6, 2011 at 7:16pm

      What next ban people from downtown Vancouver because of two so called riots in 17 years.

      These are really not full blown riots like in the UK more like hooligans breaking a few windows and torching a few Cars left by dumb drivers for mobs to torch.

      0 0Rating: 0