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injusticebusters
sermonette on this topic | Bust of
alleged angels, many of whom are still in remand |
Gangs of Saskatoon
Gang problem growing
report
James Wood,The StarPhoenix,
March 16, 2005
REGINA -- Corrections and Public
Safety Minister Peter Prebble promised a new effort to cut down
on violence in Saskatchewan jails a day after a police report
raised major concerns about gangs in the province's correctional
system.
The NDP government came under
sharp attack from the Opposition Saskatchewan Party Tuesday following
the release of the Criminal Intelligence Service Saskatchewan
(CISS) report on aboriginal-based gangs that found the province
had the highest per-capita number of youths involved in gangs
in the country.
Among the findings was that
gangs established themselves in Saskatchewan in the mid- to late-1990s
through the federal and provincial correctional systems and that
they remain key to recruitment of new members.
The report also found that
gang members make up about 25 per cent of the inmate population,
and that "it is not uncommon to have gang members posturing
for control within the correctional institution . . . gang members
have been known to threaten, stab and assault rival gang members
that are placed within their range at the jail."
Prebble said in an interview
he was concerned about the report.
"We are now looking at
special initiatives that can be taken to reduce violence within
our correctional facilities, much of which is perpetrated by
gangs. So that's going to be an important area of work in the
months ahead," he said.
The issue will be addressed
in the March 23 provincial budget, said Prebble, and details
will be provided after that date.
Gang activity is illegal within
the corrections system, but Prebble said the report shows efforts
need to be "redoubled."
"We attempt to implement
a zero-tolerance policy for gang activity, gang members are separated
when they come into our correctional facilities whenever necessary
. . . gang paraphernalia is prohibited" he said.
There is also a new emphasis
on getting young inmates back into school and in touch with their
cultural heritage, said Prebble.
The CISS report showed there
are an estimated 1,315 members of youth gangs in Saskatchewan,
with a combined total of 500 gang members in Saskatoon, Regina
and Prince Albert.
Police say there has been an
increase in violent crime because of gangs competing for turf.
On Tuesday, Saskatchewan Party
MLAs called on the government to follow the recommendation of
CISS -- which is made up of 21 Saskatchewan police agencies --
for a comprehensive provincial strategy against gangs.
"This NDP government does
nothing until it's dragged kicking and screaming by people and
by the Opposition concerned about what is happening in this province.
They take no action until it's in the headlines," said justice
critic Don Morgan.
Justice Minister Frank Quennell
said the government has already taken steps such as the passage
of the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act and actions such
as the auto theft strategy in Regina and the break-in strategy
in Saskatoon.
Quennell said the government
will introduce legislation this spring that will give additional
tools to police, but he would not elaborate on what they are.
He said he will listen to what
police have to say about further actions that need to be taken.
jwood@thesp.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2005
Police group wants plan
to address gang violence
Neil Scott, Saskatchewan
News Network; Regina Leader-Post, March 15, 2005
REGINA -- Officials with the
Criminal Intelligence Service Saskatchewan (CISS) organization
issued an urgent call Monday for a provincial strategy to deal
with the crime and violence caused by aboriginal-based gangsters.
Representatives of CISS, which
is made up of 21 police organizations in the province, released
a report at a Regina press conference that noted that Saskatchewan
has the highest per capita number of youth involved in gangs
in Canada.
"There is a pressing and
urgent need," to deal with both youth and adult gangs, said
Regina police Chief Cal Johnston, chair of the CISS executive
committee.
A comprehensive strategy that
involves prevention, education and continued police enforcement
is needed to deal with gangs, Johnston said.
Communities across Saskatchewan,
along with the provincial government and police departments,
need to work together to solve the problem, Johnston said.
Saskatoon police Chief Russ
Sabo agreed a concerted approach is needed.
"I think coming forward
(in the report) and letting the public know this is a growing
issue in the community and the province is going to help in the
long run to bring this under control," Sabo said.
Justice Minister Frank Quennell
responded during a scrum with reporters at the legislature.
"I meet regularly with
police services in Saskatchewan about the issues around organized
crime so I'm aware of these issues," Quennell said. "We
are working on providing resources and tools to our police service
to combat these specified problems."
But Quennell said social, economic
and community problems also need to be addressed as part of the
solution to the gang problem.
While the presence of criminal
gangs in Saskatchewan is no secret, Johnston said he and many
other members of CISS were somewhat surprised by the extent of
the problem.
"It happens in urban communities,
it happens in rural communities and the deep impact of some of
the behaviour is very pervasive," Johnston said.
While there are also non-aboriginal
gangs in Saskatchewan, the report released Monday focused on
aboriginal youth gangs.
The report indicated that there
are an estimated 1,315 members of youth gangs in Saskatchewan
and that number (on a per capita basis) is the highest in Canada.
A total of 500 gang members
are believed to live in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert,
with the rest spread around other Saskatchewan communities.
"In particular, over the
past year, residents of Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert have
experienced an increase in extreme violence involving aggravated
assaults, shootings and murders as gangs compete for territory,"
the report said.
While the drug trade is one
of the biggest-paying activities for gangs, information released
at the press conference indicated that gang members are involved
in a wide variety of criminal activities, including robberies
and thefts that are sometimes undertaken as part of an initiation
process.
In addition to the larger cities,
the report said gangs are active in southern Saskatchewan in
smaller cities and towns such as Fort Qu'Appelle, Broadview,
Indian Head, Yorkton, Carlyle, Moose Jaw and Kamsack.
Farther north, the report said
gangs are active in places like North Battleford, Pelican Narrows,
Stanley Mission, Pierceland, Meadow Lake and La Ronge. The report
said the gangs operate under a wide variety of names such as
the North Central Rough Riderz, Indian Mafia Crips, Indian Posse,
Native Syndicate, Crazy Cree, Redd Alert and Tribal Brothers.
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2005
Gangs co-operate in drug
trade: police
Jason Warick, Saskatchewan
News Network, January 24, 2004
The Hells
Angels are behind the crystal meth drug business in Saskatoon,
sources say
The Hells Angels are using
street gangs to deal illegal drugs such as "crystal meth,"
a highly addictive stimulant popping up everywhere on the streets
of Saskatoon, say police.
"There is a tonne of crystal
meth in town here. It's appeared in huge quantities over the
past year," Saskatoon Police Services Sgt. Gavin Morgan
told the Saskatchewan News Network.
"We do have intelligence
that there are connections in the drug trade between the Hells
Angels and the Native street gangs."
Crystal meth, otherwise known
as methamphetamine or speed, is a powerful stimulant that affects
the central nervous system.
The high comes quickly but
also wears off quickly, leaving the user with a tremendous desire
for more.
Long-term problems can include
severe weight loss, strokes and respiratory problems.
The connection was angrily
denied by a member of the Angels, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In a brief interview, he said
there's no connection between what he called his "club"
and the street gangs.
He said the Angels are simply
a motorcycle club and are not involved in any illegal activity,
including the drug trade.
None of the heads of the province's
largest street gang, the Indian Posse, would agree to be questioned
about the alleged link between them and the Angels. One of the
Indian Posse's Saskatchewan "chiefs" initially agreed
to an interview but changed his mind two days later.
Morgan and others say there
are demonstrable links between the two gangs.
"If the Hells Angels can
find some group to do their dirty work, they'll do it. There
are a lot of alliances being made," Morgan said.
"The Hells Angels insulate
themselves well."
Crystal meth has traditionally
been dealt by biker gangs, Morgan said.
The biker gangs would bring
it up from the United States and sell it in Saskatoon, he said.
But the amount of crystal meth
dealt in Saskatoon has exploded over the past year, he said.
There are indications the Angels
have brokered deals with members of street gangs to sell crystal
meth for them.
The Saskatoon Police Service's
organized crime unit is currently investigating the alleged link,
Morgan said.
Making a case could prove difficult,
as witnesses are often too afraid to come forward when gangs
are involved, Morgan said.
One community worker who has
researched the gang issue extensively said some street gang members
are used as "foot soldiers" by the Angels.
The gangs provide the Angels
with a large labour force eager to make money, the worker said.
Police have identified more than 200 members in Saskatoon alone.
She also spoke on condition
of anonymity, fearing her facility could become a target.
According to a 21-year-old
recovering addict, the Angels are "the big dog on the block"
in Saskatoon's drug trade.
He said one of his friends
is a drug dealer and member of a street gang.
That friend is often supplied
by a member of the Angels.
"For anybody to believe
the Hells Angels are legit is a lie. They just let the Native
gangs deal it," said the man, now in a Saskatoon treatment
facility.
He bought crystal meth as recently
as October in an area of Saskatoon where several Hells Angel
members live.
The same thing appears to be
happening in other Canadian cities. Staff Sgt. Scott Mills of
the Ontario Biker Enforcement Unit said the Angels are using
"puppet" clubs and gangs in Toronto, Winnipeg and other
cities to deal drugs and carry out other crimes.
"The Hells Angels are
learning from previous prosecutions and are insulating themselves.
They have someone else doing the hands-on criminal activity,"
he said.
The Biker Enforcement Unit
was formed in 2000, and is made up of more than 100 federal,
provincial, and local Ontario police officers.
Mills said crystal meth has
been "a trademark commodity of the outlaw motorcycle gang"
since the 1970s, and wasn't surprised to hear about the situation
in Saskatoon.
The Angels have been declared
a criminal organization in Quebec, and the Saskatoon chapter
is part of the same club, Mills said.
"The Hells Angels in Saskatoon,
in my opinion, are the same as the Hells Angels in Quebec or
Ontario," he said.
Vaughn Collins, deputy commissioner
of the Ontario Provincial Police, agreed.
"We've had concerns for
some times with street gangs connected to outlaw motorcycle gangs
in a variety of ways. I think that's an issue across the country,"
Collins said.
Regina also has a significant
presence of Hells Angels and street gangs.
But there's no indication the
two groups are selling drugs together in that city, said Regina
Police Service Sgt. Bill Dombowsky.
© Copyright 2004 The
StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
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Truth can never be
told so as to be understood, and not be believ'd. William Blake, The Proverbs of Hell
