Paying The Piper
The Vancouver Police Department is in the throes of initiating the first charges relating to the Stanley Cup riot that alarmed the City of Vancouver and its residents when the youth of the city went slightly beyond enthusiasm and into the realm of sociopathy. Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu has made his long-awaited announcement; 60 people are to be initially charged.
After that, who knows - perhaps 700 people who involved themselves in the riot, bashing about, creating havoc, torching cars, looting businesses, just having a riotous good time - far more will be attending court and tearfully defending their lapses in ethical and moral judgement. June 15 was a while ago, but the Vancouver police have long memories and no one should feel they will be overlooked.
Particularly those whom widely-viewed video footage has implicated. Even those who responded of their own fearful volition, to turn themselves in, after seeing their own faces on those grainy video shots, claiming they had maybe done something they shouldn't have. Like the guy who contacted police to admit he'd damaged a car. And he was prepared to apologize, unreservedly.
Who, Chief Chu explained, was further discovered upon closer investigation to have also been involved in breaking into a coffee shop, clothing and department store, smashed a car window with a skateboard, helped flip a car, damaged the door of a police car, and jumped on a number of other vehicles. This fellow obviously bought into the mood of the night.
So far, Chief Chu said, his department had sent investigators to an Indianapolis video lab to comb through five thousand hours of videos in 100 different formats, at a cost of roughly $300,000. That's serious time and serious dime, and someone's got to pay for it. The taxpayer will initially, and then those hauled before the courts will pay society's grim leverage.
In the first group of charges there are 50 men, and some women, ranging in age from 16 to 52. See, you're never too old to indulge in public partying, trashing and looting. Police have tagged no fewer than 15,000 criminal acts. Those who torched cars, smashed windows, looted stores to the tune of millions in damages will pay the piper.
Chief Chu guarantees it.
After that, who knows - perhaps 700 people who involved themselves in the riot, bashing about, creating havoc, torching cars, looting businesses, just having a riotous good time - far more will be attending court and tearfully defending their lapses in ethical and moral judgement. June 15 was a while ago, but the Vancouver police have long memories and no one should feel they will be overlooked.
Particularly those whom widely-viewed video footage has implicated. Even those who responded of their own fearful volition, to turn themselves in, after seeing their own faces on those grainy video shots, claiming they had maybe done something they shouldn't have. Like the guy who contacted police to admit he'd damaged a car. And he was prepared to apologize, unreservedly.
Who, Chief Chu explained, was further discovered upon closer investigation to have also been involved in breaking into a coffee shop, clothing and department store, smashed a car window with a skateboard, helped flip a car, damaged the door of a police car, and jumped on a number of other vehicles. This fellow obviously bought into the mood of the night.
So far, Chief Chu said, his department had sent investigators to an Indianapolis video lab to comb through five thousand hours of videos in 100 different formats, at a cost of roughly $300,000. That's serious time and serious dime, and someone's got to pay for it. The taxpayer will initially, and then those hauled before the courts will pay society's grim leverage.
In the first group of charges there are 50 men, and some women, ranging in age from 16 to 52. See, you're never too old to indulge in public partying, trashing and looting. Police have tagged no fewer than 15,000 criminal acts. Those who torched cars, smashed windows, looted stores to the tune of millions in damages will pay the piper.
Chief Chu guarantees it.
posted by Pieface | 7:37 PM
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