(06/20/11) -

British Columbians Want Vancouver Rioters and Looters to Face Justice

Most respondents are satisfied with the way the VPD handled the situation, but call for new security measures for future events.

Residents of British Columbia and Metro Vancouver are dismayed at the events that unfolded after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final, and call for those responsible for the rioting and looting that took place in Downtown Vancouver to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

The online survey of a representative provincial sample of 906 adult British Columbians also shows support for new measures to deal with crowds, and opposition to the idea of banning street parties.

Feelings

Large majorities of respondents in British Columbia say they feel Disgust (90%), Shame (78%), Sadness (75%) and Anger (69%) at the events that unfolded in Vancouver after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final.

Four-in-five British Columbians (79%)—and three-in-four Metro Vancouver residents (76%)—agree with the notion that the riots were caused by a small group of people. About two-thirds (67% in BC, 65% in Metro Vancouver) also believe that police officers handled the situation in a proper manner.

There is one issue where respondents differ from some of the recent official statements. At least seven-in-ten British Columbians (73%) and Metro Vancouver residents (74%) disagree with the idea that there was no way to know that the crowd assembled in Downtown Vancouver would become violent.

Police and the Law

Two-thirds of British Columbians (66%) and Metro Vancouver residents (64%) are satisfied with the way the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) handled the events that took place after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final. In addition, practically all respondents (96% in BC, 95% in Metro Vancouver) want the people who took part in riots to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

However, respondents are not certain that all the rioters and looters will actually be brought to justice. On average, respondents expect only about a third of those who broke the law (32%) to be prosecuted, and about half British Columbians actually believe that 20 per cent or less of these alleged perpetrators will be brought to court.

Three-in-five Metro Vancouver residents (59%) support creating a single police force that would oversee the entire Lower Mainland. A majority of respondents have agreed to this course of action since November 2007.

The Future

Respondents agree with the perception that the riots should not deter the City of Vancouver from hosting public celebrations. In fact, 56 per cent of British Columbians, and 60 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents, are opposed to an outright ban on street parties. However, practically all respondents (93% in BC, 94% in Metro Vancouver) believe that a larger police presence for crowd control on the streets should be established.

About three-in-five respondents (58% in BC, 59% in Metro Vancouver) support banning the sale of alcohol on the day of the sporting event, and four-in-five (79% in BC, 81% in Metro Vancouver) would authorize the use of non-lethal alternatives (such as rubber bullets, bean bags shotguns) for crowd dispersal.

A majority of respondents (62% in both BC and Metro Vancouver) support holding a comprehensive public inquiry into the events that took place after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver.

Conclusion

For the most part, British Columbians agree with some of the prevailing arguments that have emerged in the aftermath of the riots: that they were caused by a small group of people, that police officers handled the situation properly, and that those who broke the law must be brought to justice. However, respondents disagree with the idea that there was no way to tell that the crowd would become violent.

The level of satisfaction with the way the VPD handled the events is high, and most Metro Vancouver residents do not want the riots to lead to the outright cancellation of street parties. If anything, the people are asking for a larger police presence, a curb on the sale of alcohol, and go as far as endorsing the use of non-lethal alternatives for crowd dispersal.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From June 16 to June 17, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 906 randomly selected British Columbia adults, including 515 Metro Vancouver adults, who are Angus Reid Forum panellists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.3% for the British Columbia sample and +/- 4.3% for the Metro Vancouver sample. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of British Columbia. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.