CITY ENTERS BIG LEAGUE OF CRIME

As word filtered out Thursday afternoon that a shooting had taken
place at Moxie's, some people naturally assumed it happened at one of
the chain's restaurants in Vancouver.

Daylight executions in public places just don't happen in Prince
George, after all. That's a big-city thing, a Vancouver thing.

And now, because of a growing presence of criminal gangs, it's a
Prince George thing.

Welcome to the big leagues.

The assassination of a 21-year-old man in Moxie's parking lot is the
latest in a string of violent incidents that have become increasingly
brazen, each connected to the local drug trade.

On Christmas Eve, three rival gangs descended on the parking lot at
Pine Centre Mall where police said a drug deal went awry and resulted
in a brawl, a man being stabbed and $100 bills flying through the
air. This was followed by two drive-by shootings at crack houses
taking place minutes apart on Jan. 2, and another drive-by the
following night. At last report a 21-year-old man was in critical
condition in Vancouver with a gunshot wound from one of the attacks.

It gives no comfort to the public that no charges have been laid in
any of the incidents.

Worse, the criminal organizations seem to be growing stronger and
their members are carrying on with impunity, now to the point of
endangering the lives of innocent bystanders in broad daylight.

We're at the point now where citizens can wonder if the guy sitting
at the next table is carrying a gun.

How long will it be before a bloodthirsty hoodlum bent on retribution
mistakenly takes the life of an innocent person who had the
misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Motivated
only by greed and power, the lives of you or your children barely
register on their list of priorities.

Meanwhile, the RCMP is doing what it can. A local drug task force has
been around for several years and its work -- no surprise -- is
concentrated on fighting gang activity.

But the gangs appear to operate as though police aren't a factor,
becoming ever more audacious and violent.

It used to be police in Prince George had basically two gangs to
contend with: the Renegades and the Crew. Now a third -- the
Independent Soldiers -- has begun flexing its muscles in a battle
with the other two over turf, drugs and prices.

It's become apparent the RCMP is fighting a losing battle and the
question needs to be asked if the force is dedicating enough officers
to the cause. The RCMP must determine whether the drug task force can
be bolstered within the existing budget without weakening the
department overall.

A full public airing of the city's criminal underworld from the
RCMP's perspective is necessary, involving the mayor and city council
- -- the people who control the pursestrings.

Taxpayers should be prepared to accept that an addition of manpower
at the RCMP is a possibility, meaning more tax dollars to fight gangs
in a city obsessed with -- egads! -- potholes.

The tentacles of this city's organized crime element are no longer
confined to one or two neighbourhoods and now endanger the life of
every innocent person.

People's sense of basic safety has been seriously shaken by these
thugs and it's time the community and its leaders got involved in
finding ways to restore it.

Thursday's execution should roust everyone to the realization that
ignoring the problem will not make it go away.