E D I T O R ’ S
L E T T E R
A Night to Remember
June 15, 2011 is now a memorable night for me for it is the day I witnessed un- thinkable madness and outright unlawfulness from a group of people who thought losing a hockey game was reason enough to riot, loot and embarrass not only a city, but an entire nation.
Making it even more memorable is the fact that I was in Vancouver when all the crazi- ness happened. That’s right, I was in VanCity that fateful night when the hometown Canucks — on the brink of their first Stanley Cup championship in its 41-year history — took on (and lost to) the visiting Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the NHL finals. In town, attending the Canadian Security Association’s Security Canada West Con- ference and Exhibition, I watched the overhyped and unspectacular game at the Red Rock Casino in nearby Richmond. With the redeye flight back home waiting for me, I hopped on the SkyTrain after the game and headed to the airport. At the same time, Canucks fans were on their way home and the sadness (and anger) on their faces was obvious. At the airport, I, along with hundreds of other people, watched in disbelief as local news stations reported on the riots and ongoing carnage. With my eyes glued to the airport televisions, it was hard for me to imagine that slightly more than 24 hours earlier, I was safely walking the streets of Vancouver, soaking up the excitement, the intensity and the passion both fans and even non- hockey fans were exuding prior to the big game. It was on that day that I strolled down Robson Street, passing by people of all ages in Canucks jerseys, eventually ending up at Rogers Arena, where throngs of people were just hanging out — all suffering from Stanley Cup fever, and rightfully so. The atmosphere was electric and as a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan, I envied the people of Vancouver. For many people, the June 15 riots are over. However, for the powers that be in
Vancouver who are bestowed with the responsibility of protecting its citizens and se- curing the city, June 15 still lives on and will do so for a very long time. In fact, the events of that unfortunate night have once again sparked a national debate re- garding the increased use of video surveillance cameras in public spaces. Just recently, a municipal report, along with a separate independent review of the riot, was released that recommended the City of Vancouver increase the use of CCTV at large events. The report suggests the availability of CCTV was invaluable to the re- sponse efforts during the riot in providing real-time information to all responders. “The city and VPD (Vancouver Police Department),” states the report, “should bring forward to council an updated policy with regard to the future use of CCTV cameras for special events to assist with monitoring crowd activities, deployment of first responders and police, (and) identification of suspects and riot participants in the event of a significant disturbance.”
It is safe to say that the more than 2,100 video files totalling more than 1,600 hours of video from the riot handed over to Vancouver’s Integrated Riot Investiga- tion Team helped with the 165 arrests resulting from that night’s events. Although video surveillance might not be the solution to all of society’s ills, the night of June 15 definitely proves to me that public CCTV does have its benefits, and that its use, especially in public spaces, will no doubt be expanded in cities across Canada.
Publisher/Editor Paul Grossinger
paul@securitymattersmag.com
Director, New Business Development Frank Shoniker
Advertising Sales Paul Grossinger
Editorial Assistant Angela Rotundo
Art Director Mark Tzerelshtein
markintoshdesign.com
Contributors Graham Bushkes Dr. Ann Cavoukian Michael Geist Lynn Greiner Ian Harvey Tarun Khandelwal Brent MacLean Kae S. Roberts Stephen Sims Andrew Wareing
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Security Matters Paul Grossinger
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