Vancouver police want media's riot footage

Vancouver police say they plan to serve warrants on local media outlets to collect video footage from the Stanley Cup riot earlier this year.

The warrants — also known as production orders — include the CBC, The Vancouver Sun, The Province, The Globe and Mail, Global TV and CTV.

"This is an important step in the investigation to ensure all images are collected and rioters held accountable," said Insp. Les Yeo in a statement released on Wednesday morning.

But the head of UBC's Journalism School criticized the move, saying it is inappropriate for the Vancouver Police Department to demand the media turn over material.

Peter Klein, who was an award-winning producer with the investigative show 60 Minutes, said the warrants would undermine the public's trust that the media is an independent watchdog for the public.

"I think's it's completely inappropriate for police to be issuing warrants to journalists. We can't do our job if the public knows we are potentially acting as agent for the police," said Klien.

"I don't want the police in my bedroom and I don't want them in my newsroom," he said.

Meanwhile, police say they continue to make progress analyzing more than 1,600 hours of video evidence collected since the June 15 riot.

Several members of the Vancouver Police Department's special riot investigation team are in Indianapolis working with experts to catalogue the hundreds of individual suspects captured on the video.

"We are on track to deliver 40 charges to the Crown by Oct. 31, and more charges will continue to flow in the weeks and months to follow," said Yeo.