Security cameras in retail locations are primarily meant to record shoplifting, and the occasional robbery, but in Vancouver, CCTV DVR security systems worked overtime during hockey riots that violently erupted after game seven of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
When the Vancouver Canucks lost in a 4-0 defeat against the Boston Bruins, downtown Vancouver crowds started simmering immediately and soon grew very violent. What started out as rowdy chanting and a bit of pushing and shoving quickly turned into wanton destruction of downtown businesses as a crowd of over 100,000 created havoc for large and small business alike.
The economic damage alone is estimated to be in the millions.
Smaller retail locations like Megabite pizza and Blenz coffee had windows smashed and furniture destroyed, while larger retailers like London Drugs and The Bay not only had huge windows smashed, but they also experienced serious property damage and major looting of merchandise. Many cars were flipped over and torched, including police cruisers.
Within a week one hundred and seventeen people were arrested, some of them identified by riot watchers on the streets using cell phones to record the mayhem. Amateur shooters and riot voyeurs captured hockey fans smashing windows, overturning and setting cars ablaze, fighting, and creating general havoc.
Politicians and the police asked for the public’s help in identifying rioters and looters by posting their video and pictures online in sites viewable to the public, and then later asked people to send their images directly to a law enforcement website set up to store and review the imagery exclusively by police.
It soon turned into Wild West vigilante justice.
Many of the rioters exposed on video received death threats and went into hiding.
It will be interesting to see how many of the resulting charges will hold up in court and gain a conviction.
It is one thing for a person to use their cell phone to catch a rioter in the act, and yet another to get a conviction. We have strict laws in Canada that define exactly how a picture or video is deemed legally accurate and admissible in court.
Continuity is critically important when using video to obtain a conviction. The Crown has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that what you see occurring on a video is what actually transpired. Many issues have to be taken into account, like lighting, angle, and also intent. Just because you record someone running from a crime scene does not make them guilty of committing a crime, especially during a riot.
They could have been running away from rioters and in fear of their lives.
Getting a conviction using video evidence is harder to do than most people think. It is for this reason that when you are planning your CCTV DVR system you have to take a wide variety of issues into account.
Many of the videos seen online are low resolution, which makes it impossible to identify the culprits. There are very few clear videos, and it is important to note that it is these high res clear videos that cause suspects to turn themselves in.
Only clear images will lead to convictions, all the rest, many of which are fuzzy or in silhouette will have little value in a court of law.
Large retailers like London Drugs and The Bay use professionally designed and installed video monitoring systems, and at the end of the day it is these system that will be able to faithfully document a chain of events and the continuity needed in court to convict and put rioters and looters in jail. Many small companies do the same for the same reason, but it is obvious that not enough were prepared because they are now desperately relying on video shot by amateurs. Businesses big or small need convictions in order to stop crime.
Emotion played a role in both starting the Vancouver riots and in haphazardly capturing the criminals, but you need more than a last minute reactive response to protect your property. In order to be effective, security plans have to be proactive and well thought out from an intellectual perspective to ensure justice is served.
All those people shooting hand held video don’t realise it yet, but when the cases come to court, the defence could demand that the video-taper show up and under oath explain in detail what they recorded. Witnesses are often made to look like fools in the hands of a good defense lawyer, so it is hard to say at this point if they will even take the time, let alone risk the consequences.
Without strong supporting evidence charges could be dropped.
Hey, I just wanted to say what a excellent website. I certainly enjoyed it and found it interesting reading. Anticipating your next post!