singingringingtree

Vancouver in middle of gang warfare? 29 Shootings since January! This sounds a bit worrying - let's hope it gets sorted.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/29561326/

el_richo

"Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said the increasing violence should not worry people planning to attend the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Officials say a total of 15,000 police officers, private security and military personnel will be providing security for the games."

Oh well that's ok then, at least visitors will be safe for the Games. And what about residents etc before and after?

dboy

We have now been dubbed 'Gangcouver' - it should pass. I've been here 16 years and this is unprecedented. Government/police are making it a top priority so some good should come out of it. Just hope we get an handle on it before an innocent bystander gets killed.

Butch Cassidy

What worries me is the violence has escalated since 4bells arrived??? Is there some correlation???

Auld Yin

As quoted in the UK SUN today. "In the past ten years violent crime in Britain has rocketed. Knife crime has become endemic". This is a world phenomenon I think. Violence has permeated all our lives at some level. If we knew for certain that such violence always erupted between violent people I do not think I would care too much, but it's the fact that totally innocent people are often at risk.
As far as Vancouver is concerned it is a double-edged sword. It is claimed the problem is a result of the success of the fight against the drug trade in Mexico by the Mexican/US governments. Less drugs available on Vancouver's streets (a good thing) results in an increase in gun use/murders (not a good thing).

Bleepedy Bloops

Vancouverizzle my shizzle

willmore

It is worrisome, and very concerned about the folks living in vancouver.

More police will help, but something needs to be done to stop the drug trade from being such a profitable business for these gangs. We need to take the next step and legalize drugs.....

Butch Cassidy

And whilst were at it Human Traffiking and Child pornography

willmore

No, but Im under the impression that these gang wars in vancouver involve the power and control of the drug trade......I could be wrong......

Butch Cassidy

Correct me if I'm wrong but the control of the drug is ONE aspect of the UNs interests, further correct me if I'm wrong but the UN is one of the MAJOR 'players' in the current spate of violence?

A general decriminilisation of drug possession and trafficing would simply mean more wide spread usage and a greater 'burden' on the support system than is already experienced.

I'm not sure of the situation in Van but I would be VERY confident in saying that over 60% of women engaged in the sex trade in Calgary are also into 'hard' drug usage. These women are putting themselves (and the johns in some cases) at great risk of physical harm EVERY day. MANY of these girls are also being controlled and manipulated by the gangs here in Calgary, gangs which are also involved in the drug trade and protection schemes and yes are engaging in gun warfare.

There are many ways to look at these problems and being serious I would not totally discount a move in some way to legalise\decriminalise drug possession BUT honestly I can see as much if not more harm than good coming from such a move.

dbd33

Accepting that it's true that prostitutes use drugs that doesn't say anything about the drug trade. They likely also smoke cigarettes, wear shoes, any number of ordinary activities; are you saying that drug use is an indicator of an inclination to prostitution? If so, I don't think that stands up.

willmore

I know Im going to get slammed for this point of view, but here goes anyway -

As far as legalizing prostitutions - it might just be a benefit to society. As long as men are pigs and unable to control their "urges", there is always going to be a demand.

If it was legalized, the girls would be safe, clean and healthy, the govt will gain revenue. In the end, isnt the health and safety of the girls of the utmost importance?

Think of those poor prostitutes that were killed by that pig farmer in vancouver. He picked on the most vulnerable and poorest in society.....

adele

And especially since I arrived too, don't just blame Carrie! I don't think a day's gone by without some gang land death...

Kaye.

I'm sorry, but what??

dboy

Drugs has always been a common denominator in crime. Druggies steals goods from safeway, or break into cars, robs a bank etc to fuel their addiction. Gangs have always been fighting over drugs which leads to violent crime - although for the most part against each other.

In order to get a handle on things, police need more encompassing powers of search, seizure and detention (like the PACE act in the UK). The legal requirements now are very prohibitive on the part of the police. Canada is a bleeding heart country that pampers to the whims of civil libertarians. Even cameras were denied in the worst crime areas of vancouver because of them. Happen if we had them..............(and no big brother won't be watching, he's too busy chasing after all the bangers to care what average joe is up to)

The average member of the public has absolutely no idea what the police are faced with in trying to investigate these groups (we know who they are). Outdated laws, such as wiretap provisions under Part VI of the Criminal Code and privacy groups that require a search warrant for just about everything, cause investigation to drag out for months, sometimes even years. Major crime cops spend most of their time writing judicial applications for the simplest of things. For example 3 days of paperwork to get a suspect's cell phone records.

Cost is also another factor. A 3 month investigation into one of these groups can easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and sucks up dozens of investigators, who are often pulled from other investigations or front line policing roles.

And don't get me started on the courts. We need disruption offences to carry significant jail terms, since this is often all we can get the gangsters on. For example drug dealing or weapons possession. As it stands in Vancouver, these offences carry very little if any jail terms. If they did, we could take them apart from the inside out.

Justice may be blind but she is also deaf and dumb.