Pubdate: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2004 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Tim Switzer, Leader-Post Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?216 (CN Police) POLICE FEAR MORE GANG VIOLENCE Police across Saskatchewan say they're worried about increased violence among street gangs, which are becoming more organized. Director of the Criminal Intelligence Service Saskatchewan (CISS) and RCMP Staff Sgt. Bob Bazin said Aboriginal gangs such as the Indian Posse in Saskatoon and the Native Syndicate in Regina are far more organized than in the past and are able to branch to other towns in Saskatchewan and other provinces. "Unless we can dedicate a lot of resources to this problem -- more resources than we currently have available -- I think they will evolve," he said. "However, if this is an issue where collectively we can resource it properly and deal with not just the enforcement side of the house but also the prevention side of the house to convince young people to not join gangs, I think some positive things can happen from that." While gangs have found their way into medium-sized cities like Yorkton and North Battleford, they are also starting to pop up in smaller towns like Kamsack and Broadview, relying on young men and women from those towns and the surrounding First Nation reserves as recruits. He said police are focusing on getting into the communities where these gangs operate to work with residents as well as intervening with young people to keep them from joining the gangs in the first place. Police are also using new legislation to attempt to go after the assets of gang members, as well as charging members with participation in a criminal organization. Last week, five men who are facing charges in the death of 44-year-old Wayne Friday, were also charged with participation in a criminal organization. While Bazin didn't know the specifics in that case, he did say it sheds light on the level of violence happening in the gang world. "For the most part we are seeing gang-on-gang (violence)," he said. "Members within their own gangs going after one another, members of competing gangs or gang members on independent individuals involved in the drug trade. "It's about the message," he continued. "'You don't mess with our turf, you don't mess with our product, you don't mess with our women.' Sometimes that message is sent by a beating, other times it's by a homicide. It's very much about keeping control." But it's not just gang violence troubling police, it's also occasional cooperation with large scale operations like the Hell's Angels. "On occasion some of the more established organized crime gangs will come to the street gangs for somewhat of a labour pool," he said. "For the most part the gangs operate within their own but they will go to other gangs for supply of drugs, movement of contraband and those types of issues." This then allows some of the smaller gangs to build themselves up and establish themselves within a community of their own,making dealing with gangs a circular process for police. "In a perfect world we'd love to have enough resources to tackle each and every gang out there." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek