Pubdate: Tuesday, June 29, 1999 Source: Toronto Star (Canada) Copyright: 1999, The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Page: A4 Author: Cal Millar, Toronto Star Staff Reporter BIKER GANGS HAVE TO GO, CHIEF SAYS They'Re Involved In Many Criminal Acts In Canada, Conference Told THUNDER BAY - The federal government should ban outlaw motorcycle gangs, says the president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. ``They've been declared organized crime elements and there comes a time when we have to establish the lawfulness of what they do or don't do,'' Julian Fantino, who is also York Region's police chief, said yesterday during the association's 48th annual conference. ``The whole image . . . what they do, how they look, how they behave, is all predicated on the notion that it's an intimidation thing. That shouldn't be allowed.'' Fantino made the suggestion after an expert on outlaw motorcycle gangs told the chiefs in a closed session that more should be done to fight bikers' criminal activities. The York Region chief said he would also like to see a U.S.-style law that would allow police to seize the assets of outlaw bikers. The 200-plus delegates attending the five-day conference were told that outlaw biker gangs are entrenched throughout Canada and involved in myriad criminal activities, including trailer thefts, fraud, drugs and forms of prostitution in the exotic entertainment industry. There are about 1,200 ``made'' outlaw bikers across Canada and each member has five to 20 associates, said Staff Sergeant Jean-Pierre Levesque, who co-ordinates the Canadian effort to combat outlaw motorcycle gangs. One powerful gang, the Hell's Angels, is planning to establish chapters across the country, he told the chiefs. Only Ontario and Manitoba do not have Hell's Angels chapters but they are already operating criminal enterprises in Ontario, he said. Canada has all kinds of small gangs, but the Hell's Angels are reorganizing the face of the biker world throughout the country, he said. The Hell's Angels want to avoid the violence they experienced during a four-year biker war for control of Quebec, but won't back down from a fight when they make a bid for control in Ontario, he said. ``They are the leading agency among the bikers and they want to maintain that. They want to portray an image of an international crime corporation of professionalism.'' During the gang's four-year dispute with the rival Rock Machine in Quebec, Levesque said there have been 102 killings and 118 attempted murders. The gang is expanding very quickly on the international level as well, Levesque said. He told delegates the Hell's Angels have 135 chapters in 21 countries and will soon establish chapters in four others. The Hell's Angels in Canada have been waging a court battle to challenge our laws, he said. ``They use well-paid lawyers who take advantage of every legal loophole in our system to the advantage of these criminals in uniforms,'' Levesque told a news conference after addressing the chiefs. Imposing tougher sentences would help combat the threat posed by outlaw bike gang members, he said. Detective Superintendent Dave Crane of the Ontario Provincial Police said about 15 outlaw motorcycle gangs are entrenched in communities across the province, including Satan's Choice, the Vagabonds, Loners and Outlaws. ``Ontario has always been and will continue to be very profitable for any outlaw motorcycle gang by virtue of the number of people and the amount of money in the province,'' he said. The Hell's Angels are engaged in activities in the northern part of the province, he said. Crane said it's unlikely the gang will be able to take over in Ontario without some form of marketing strategy or a war. One strategy could include flooding the market with high-quality, low-cost drugs to win over dealers, he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea