Business owners of the stores affected by the June 15 riot are busy working on victim impact statements ahead of criminal charges.
Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) executive director Charles Gauthier and its members were briefed on the ongoing police investigations into the riot Thursday.
Although told charges won’t be forwarded to Crown counsel until next month, police have asked businesses to start drafting impact statements.
“We have a role to play in this and we’ll make sure members are finishing impact statements to provide to police,” said Gauthier. “It’s important to have their stories entered into the process.”
Gauthier admitted DVBIA members have been anxious and even frustrated by the apparent lack of justice since looters ravaged approximately 60 businesses during the riot.
“I’m being asked by members, ‘Why is it taking so long?’ all the time,” he said.
But once police Chief Jim Chu explained the situation at the briefing and said investigators are waiting for video evidence to be processed at a state-of-the-art lab in the U.S. before forwarding charges, much of the anxiety dissipated.
“I have faith in the judicial system,” Gauthier said. “Police want to ensure they get the fullest extent of justice for us.”
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
About The Reporter
