Vancouver Riot Investigator Says City Created 'Recipe for Disaster'

What do you get when you let 100,000 nervous fans downtown to watch a team known for choking, then let them drink their faces off?

The Vancouver police officer responsible for the investigation into the riot that wreaked havoc on the city after the Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals says the city's decision to allow 100,000 people to congregate downtown and let them get drunk was "a recipe for disaster." Sergeant Dale Weidman told a conference in Ottawa yesterday that the cause of the riot was painfully obvious – drunk young men congregating within a few city blocks. As to why the City of Vancouver thought that combination would be a good idea, Weidman couldn't answer. But he did say that the public's anger over what's been perceived to be a slow police response to the riots – the first 60 suspects were only charged last month – is a little misguided. After all, police had to review more than 5,000 hours of security camera footage, and putting together a water-tight case requires due diligence and patience. Bearing all that in mind, perhaps it's a relief to know that if the Canucks keep playing how they've been playing so far this year, they won't come anywhere near a Stanley Cup final. Edmonton, on the other hand...