Pubdate: Thu, 20 Sep 2007
Source: Moose Jaw Times-Herald (CN SN)
Copyright: 2007 The Moose Jaw Times-Herald Group Inc.
Contact: (306) 692-2101
Website: http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2154
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Author: Lacey Sheppy

GANGS IN MOOSE JAW

Moose Jaw's Street Gang Problem Is Slowly Getting Worse, According To Police.

Members of the Native Syndicate and Indian Posse are  known to be 
living on South Hill and in the east part  of the city and are 
responsible for a large portion of  the drug trade in Moose Jaw.

"They show up at (downtown bars) around midnight some  nights wearing 
their colours," said police Chief Terry  Coleman. "Here in 
Saskatchewan, the street gang problem  is with Aboriginal street 
gangs. They're far more  organized and structured than a few years ago."

According to police intelligence, Saskatchewan's  Aboriginal gangs 
originated in the correctional system  in the 1980s.

"The Indian Posse is defunct pretty much everywhere  else in the 
Prairies," said Insp. Tim Arnott, adding  some chapters have been 
incorporated into other gangs  or run out of major centres by bigger gangs.

"Here is the only place left for them to go."

Police started seeing gangs in Moose Jaw about eight  years ago. At 
the time, it appeared they were fleeing  larger centres like 
Saskatoon and Brandon during times  of turmoil with police or other gangs.

For the last five years, gangs have been moving into  Moose Jaw, 
attracted here by the ease of selling drugs  and engaging in 
prostitution and by a police force too  busy to adequately deal with them.

"It's frustrating because now's the time to get out in  front of it 
and we're not able to," said Coleman,  adding Regina police have 
given him the names of known  gang members who recently moved to Moose Jaw.

"The province has dumped a lot of money into combined  special forces 
units on organized crime. The problem is  that their efforts are 
flushing people out, not just to  Moose Jaw, but to Weyburn and Lumsden, also."

The units are often busy in larger centres and unable  to devote time 
to smaller cities.

The Moose Jaw Police Service, which had about 20 people  in its 
plainclothes unit in 1985, is down to between  four and seven now and 
would have to put all other  activities on hold in order to further 
investigate the  gang situation, said Coleman.

Although there haven't been turf wars or other violent  acts reported 
yet, Coleman predicts it will happen if  police don't get the 
resources necessary to head off  the problem.

"Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it  won't happen."
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