A Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Police Department deputy chief told a government liquor official the day before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final that he was worried about hooligans looking for an excuse to make trouble if the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Canucks lost.
Deputy Chief Doug LePard made the statement in a June 14 email to Karen Ayers, the assistant deputy minister and general manager of the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, in discussing early closures of liquor stores during game days.
So, were now heading into the final game, LePard wrote. If they win, I think there will be a party like weve never seen in Vancouver, ever. If they lose, unlike last night, its really all over and thats when we can expect angry, disappointed people [the 94 scenario] and hooligans looking for an excuse to make trouble.
LePard released copies Thursday of his emails with Ayers and notes he made regarding a June 12 teleconference call that included Ayers and officials from the B.C. Ambulance Service and St. Pauls Hospital.
At a press conference Thursday, LePard defended the reference he made to the 1994 Stanley Cup riot, which also erupted after the Canucks lost a Game 7 Stanley Cup Final.
I think it is fair to say that the 94 scenario is never far from our minds whenever we are in the planning stages for large gatherings, he told reporters. But when we think of the 94 scenario, unless we have information to the contrary, we are not thinking of a riot but the kind of bad behaviour one sees in a riot. LePard said there is hardly a large event in the city or a summer weekend night in the Granville entertainment district where police dont see alcohol-fuelled fights or people climbing lamp posts or onto awnings.
It is that type of common rowdy behaviour we are referring to when we reference the 94 scenario, he said.
So far, the VPD has not recommended charges to Crown counsel related to the June 15 riot, which erupted after the Boston Bruins beat the Canucks in the final game at Rogers Arena.
Police are still reviewing video and still images from the night that saw police vehicles set ablaze, stores looted and several people injured downtown.
On Thursday, the VPD posted another dirty dozen photos of riot suspects to a website the department has dedicated solely to the riot investigation.
The total number of suspects on the website that turned themselves in, are under investigation or have been arrested increased from 44 last week to 52.
The publics response to the postings has been overwhelming and we are grateful for that, LePard said. However, we also realize that public interest wanes and it is challenging to ask people to keep returning to our website. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at ways to renew that interest and hopefully encourage even greater numbers to visit our site.
Police Chief Jim Chu has promised hundreds of charges.
Twitter: @Howellings
