Police Chief Jim Chu declined to make a statement to reporters Wednesday on whether he wants suspects charged in last year's Stanley Cup riot to serve jail time.
Chu said he will leave the decisions on sentencing to the provincial court judges presiding over the cases involving the suspected rioters from the June 15 riot.
"We'd like the courts to treat these cases very seriously," Chu said after a speech to the Board of Trade at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel. "Every situation is going to be different in terms of what the offence was, what the offender's background is."
But Chu noted a 1992 B.C. Court of Appeal decision, which is binding on lower courts, where 18-year-old George Loewen of Penticton was sentenced to six months in jail.
Loewen was originally sentenced to 10 months before the Appeal court reduced the teenager's jail time to six months. Loewen, who had no previous criminal history, destroyed a newspaper box and was involved in the destruction of a concession stand during the so-called Peachfest riot in July 1991.
So far, 30 people have been charged in connection with the Stanley Cup riot for a total of 77 charges. Police have recommended a further 138 charges against 50 suspects. Crown counsel is reviewing the files.
Chu could learn Feb. 7 whether 20-year-old Ryan Dickinson of Coquitlam-the first suspected rioter to plead guilty in Vancouver-will serve any jail time. Dickinson is scheduled to appear on that date in Vancouver Provincial Court for a sentencing hearing.
A Surrey man earlier pleaded guilty to stealing swimwear from a damaged store during the riot, only to receive an absolute discharge. That case was handled by the Surrey RCMP.
In Chu's speech to Board of Trade members, he said the Surrey case was an example of why VPD investigators continue to gather evidence to recommend multiple charges against a suspect. Chu used his speech to summarize the work of the VPD in the riot, including reviewing 5,000 hours of videotape and using a video lab in Indianapolis to help identify suspects.
He also showed a video on the ballroom's two large screens of a constable getting hit in the head with a brick on the night of the riot.
"[The constable] staggered around for a while, for about two or three minutes, and then he passed out," Chu told the crowd, adding the constable is six-foot, seven inches tall.
He then projected still photos on the screens of the constable taken the next day, which showed him with a heavily swollen face. Other police officers were also injured in the riot.
"We took pictures of that because we're going to make a concerted effort to find who threw that brick," the chief added.
The Vancouver Police Foundation has since raised $300,000 to supply at least 300 "grab-and-go" kits for officers, which contain protective helmets, shin pads, elbow pads and gloves.
Of the 500 officers working the night of the riot, only 150 were wearing helmets.
mhowell@vancourier.com
Twitter: @Howellings
