Calgary Gangs Become Smaller, More Fleeting, According to Calgary Police
Just a few years after Calgary Police and other law enforcement agencies successfully ended the gang violence between Calgary's two largest and most active gangs, the F.O.B. or "Fresh Off the Boat" gang and their rival, the F.K. or "Fresh Off the Boat Killers" gang, the Calgary Police Service is now saying that though gang violence and other gang related crimes are occurring less frequently, they are becoming harder to detect, investigate, and prosecute.
It makes it more difficult because in the old regime we had two charts of opposing sides, says Staff Sgt. Quinn Jacques. Now we don't really have those two factions and it makes it more complicated to investigate.
Rather than long-term investigations that helped build cases against many members and leaders of Calgary's former gangs, Calgary Police now conduct shorter investigations into individuals and groups that might not be properly labeled "gangs" at all. Police are seeing more people forming temporary associations with alleged criminal intentions rather than the more permanent, structured, and larger gangs of yesteryear. This creates new challenges and new opportunities for everyone in Calgary when it comes to addressing the issue of gangs and gang related crime.
Smaller Calgary Gangs Mean Bigger Intervention Opportunities
Calgary Police are pleased that they have been able to successfully conclude many criminal investigations, but are also frustrated by the fact that smaller and shorter-lived "gangs"are harder to track and to detect, which has led to a recent spike in Calgary's violent crime rate. Larger gangs made intergang violence more prominent, and also more predictable.
The police and other Calgary officials should note, however, that the lack of any large-scale and permanent gangs in today's Calgary communities is a huge sign of success for various gang intervention and outreach programs. Many of Calgary's programs started at the height of Calgary's gang problems in the last decade, and are primarily engaged in steering at-risk youth, including families of people charged with gang-related crimes, and younger gang members away from violence, crime, and gang affiliation.
Crime may never be stamped out, but gangs exist only where social failures have left room for them to grow. Not only are more fragmented and temporary gangs a sign of success, they offer Calgary a huge opportunity to increase outreach and eliminate gang-related crime in our city altogether.
Everyone Accused of Gang-Related Crimes Deserves a Strong Defence
Despite the evidence that most gang-related crime can be prevented by better outreach, many people in Calgary still find themselves facing criminal charges for alleged gang activity. You don't have to face these charges alone.
If you or a family member has been charged with a gang-related crime in or around the Greater Calgary Area and would like a free initial consultation with an experienced criminal defence lawyer, contact Susan Karpa today. You'll receive dedicated and compassionate legal assistance to help you put these charges behind you as quickly and completely as possible.