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The 2014 gang activity report has been released and things are looking up in BC.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia is a gang-focused group of police officers whose primary role is to stamp out gang violence. In the past year, CFSEU-BC has arrested and charged 97 organized crime and gang-related individuals for at least 270 offences in nearly 30 communities across BC.
Their slogan and program "End Gang Life" focuses on education and prevention in the battle against gang activity.
"There has been a significant decline in crime statistics related to gang violence over the last year," said Kevin Hacket, Chief officer with the CFSEU. "This is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the nearly 400 officers and civilians who make up the CFSEU-BC along with all of our police, academic, and community partners who we work with every day."
End Gang Life is an emotional and visually impactful anti-gang strategy that uses "powerful imagery with language" that aims to give youth a fresh perspective on what gangs really are, give communities a rallying point around which they can mobilize against gangs in their neighbourhoods, and make gangsters reconsider their life choices.
The first wave of products included three posters and corresponding television and radio public service announcements.
The CFSEU-BC gives credit to two doctors from Kwantlen Polytechnic for their work on creating a program called Acting Together - Community University Research Alliance, or ATCURA.
Dr Gira Bhatt and Dr Roger Tweed's research showed that community based education campaigns which taught kids to appreciate basic human values which aimed to curb those youths from looking for fulfilment through criminal activity.
Their work began in Surrey after a spate of gun violence in the early 2000s, but the CFSEU found that the lessons are broadly applicable.
Part of the educational campaign is revealing the realities and debunking the myths behind gang life, which it says is glamourized in "popular culture."
Some of those myths are here:
- Girls and women are involved in gangs and are frequently the victims of physical and sexual abuse.
- There is no strict structure of loyalty among gangs and gangsters; they often rob one another or assault and kill one another to get ahead.
- The majority of gang related deaths occur among white people, not ethnic minorities.
All of the information is available on their website www.endganglife.ca
