Thirty-seven people involved in the Stanley Cup riot have turned themselves in to investigators and hundreds of suspects are expected to face criminal charges, according to Vancouver police.
The Integrated Riot Investigation Team said in a release Wednesday that it is preparing charge recommendations against the 30 men and seven women who gave themselves up for arrest, but warned that the process to get charges approved will be "lengthy and complex."
Seven of the people who have turned themselves in are Vancouverites, while nine are from Surrey, four from Maple Ridge and three from Burnaby. The remaining suspects are scattered throughout the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Police say that they are currently investigating an additional 111 people for their involvement in the chaos that resulted in the burning of cars and trashing of store fronts throughout downtown Vancouver on June 15.
The IRIT says it has identified "hundreds" more suspects who will be under investigation in the coming months. Investigators are considering 202 separate incidents involving as many as 300 suspects each.
Some of the charges under consideration include: assault, assaulting a police officer, robbery, participating in a riot, possession of a weapon and arson.
The 50-person IRIT includes officers and civilian experts from across the Lower Mainland. Investigators say they have received 4,300 email tips from the public in the month since the riot, including 1,500 hours of video and 15,000 images.
