On November 16th the VPD launched a poster campaign to enlist the public’s support in identifying suspected rioters.
During a 12-hour period, a team of 150 volunteers distributed 35,000 posters featuring photos of 104 suspected rioters.
Reaction to the poster was tremendous. People came down from office buildings asking for stacks of posters for their staff. One high school in Surrey gave out 450 posters in 30 minutes. A food cart vendor wanted to laminate the poster to put it on his cart. The public got on board and according to the VPD, the tipline went ‘crazy’. In the first five days alone they received 93 tips from the public on 48 targets.
This was a tactic that the VPD had never tried before. When the Foundation was asked by the VPD for help, we immediately got involved and funded the printing of the poster. This campaign was a perfect fit for the VPF – it broke new ground and encouraged public participation in enforcement.
A big thank you to our donors who made this campaign possible.
The Vancouver Police Foundation supports programs and initiatives that fall under one of four pillars: Youth Programs, Mental Health & Addictions, Community Outreach & Engagement, and Technology & Special Equipment. You can help build a safer Vancouver by donating to the Vancouver Police Foundation.
