Unrevelling National Pride

A Vancouver Police Department (VPD) media release and press conference of 1 March 2010 has been given wide uncritical replay. Are Vancouver media outlets hooked on regurgitation?

The controlling agenda lurks in the final paragraph of the release: The story wasn’t the police … it was the incredible demonstration of national pride. The Olympic brand demands positive associations on all possible fronts, including law enforcement.

These four numbers made up the core of the press release:

• 20,824 voluntary liquor pour-outs
• 1,230 violation tickets for Consuming Liquor in a Public Place
• 253 arrests for State of Intoxication in a Public Place
• 93 arrests for Breach of the Peace

The lack of detail is remarkable. A place to start would be the number and nature of charges laid, against how many individuals, and the names of the persons charged.

Three news reports mention physical injury suffered by two police officers:

There were also a handful of arrests for breach of the peace and for disorderly and violent behaviour, and two officers were injured when they attempted to break up a fight. (Armstrong)

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Two Vancouver police officers were injured at Seymour and Dunsmuir streets when they tried to break up a fight. One of them will need surgery on his hand. (Bermingham)

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Two Vancouver police officers who broke up a fight at Dunsmuir and Seymour, Sunday, suffered injuries when they fell through a plate-glass window while trying to subdue a male. One officer received cuts to his hand, which will require surgery. (Bellett / Pynn)

The anonymity allowed to the combatants who precipitated this incident, together with a failure to announce associated charges, contrasts strikingly with the previous treatment of protesters.

For a police officer to be put into a condition requiring surgery seems to far exceed the consequences of any of the alleged protester assaults.

24 Hours Vancouver and Bermingham include one interesting additional figure – that the Vancouver Police Department reckoned the number of protests at 36. This would amount to an average of more than two protests per day for the entire period of the Olympic Games. Where was the media coverage for all that?

One report states:

Managing drunken revellers was the primary challenge for both city and transit police. (Bellett / Pynn)

Meanwhile, multiple stories recite a VPD press release claim that February 12 protest at B.C. Place produced the “most tense moment.”

If two officers fell through a plate glass window, could it be conceivable that other officers stumbled into airborne saliva?

It’s hard not to slide off into sarcasm when violence that results in definite physical trauma to a human being gets treated much less seriously than a gob of spit or a broken window or a toppled newspaper box.

 
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(In chronological order)

“Statement of Deputy Chief Constable Doug LePard – March 1st, 2010,”
Media Release – Vancouver Police Department (1 Mar 2010)

Jane Armstrong. “Police department pleased with its operation at Games,” Globe & Mail (2 Mar 2010)

Gerry Bellett / Larry Pynn. “VPD deputy chief has sore hands from all the high fives,” Vancouver Sun (2 Mar 2010) A10

John Bermingham. “Orderly Games result of great policing: Cops,” Province
(2 Mar 2010)

Jeff Hodson. “Police report record liquor pour-outs,” Metro Vancouver (2 Mar 2010) 3

“Numbers game,” 24 Hours Vancouver 5:223 (2 Mar 2010) 5

“Police deserve a medal for their performance [editorial],” Vancouver Sun (4 Mar 2010) A14

Mike Howell. “12th and Cambie: Drunks and punks,” Vancouver Courier 101:19 (5 Mar 2010) EW07

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