YOUTH GANGS GETTING YOUNGER: REPORT

Problem Not 'Out Of Control' Yet

Ottawa's youth gangs are getting younger and more suburban, according
to a report released yesterday by Crime Prevention Ottawa.

The report, by street-gang expert Michael Chettleburgh, says there
are now "pee wee gangsters," as young as eight years old, who are
being recruited into gangs, often in densely populated social housing
communities where there are gang rivalries. Children as young as 10
are getting into drug dealing, Mr. Chettleburgh found.

In an interview, Mr. Chettleburgh said gang leaders see that they can
quickly get new recruits by targeting younger people with drugs and parties.

"It's manipulation. They turn them into drug dealers," said Mr.
Chettleburgh, who said he has seen 12-year-olds selling crack cocaine
from BMX bicycles. Once involved and experienced, the youths find it
hard to leave the lucrative drug trade.

As well, there are youth gangs surfacing in suburbs, such as
Stittsville, Barrhaven, Kanata and Orleans, according to the report,
with rising involvement of girls and more robberies, intimidation and
swarmings. Other trends include displays of gang affiliations through
signs, colours, dress codes and graffiti vandalism. The newer gangs
are also more territorial, while established gangs are more often
driven by money. As well, they are using guns and knives more often.

The report to Crime Prevention Ottawa was assembled based on
interviews and online surveys with people who deal with gangs and
young people in Ottawa, including police, social workers, school
officials and some gang members.

Mr. Chettleburgh found that Ottawa's youth gangs problem is growing,
"but is not out of control." The estimate for Ottawa is about 600
gang members, about the same as Edmonton. In 2002, it was estimated
that Ottawa had 250 people involved in these gangs.

Winnipeg's gang problem, with an estimated 3,000 gang members, is
about the same size as Toronto's, according to Mr. Chettleburgh's research.

Lower-income and immigrant families are susceptible to youth gangs,
he found. Youths involved in gangs often don't do well at school and
don't have much parental supervision. Youths feel protected and find
a sense of belonging in gangs. One former gang member told the
consultant that he joined the Ledbury-Banff Crips at age 15 because
he had moved into a new neighbourhood and was getting beaten up
daily. By joining the gang, he got protection.

Part of the reason for the study is to get more money and effort
spent on keeping young people in Ottawa from joining gangs.

Police have 24 officers working in this area, but Mr. Chettleburgh
says more effort needs to be invested in making life better for
youths so that they don't get lured into gangs.

This includes more help at school, improving living conditions and
security in public housing neighbourhoods and giving young people
access to recreation programs. User fees for recreation programs have
risen sharply in recent years in Ottawa.

"You're either going to be socialized at school or on the streets,"
said Mr. Chettleburgh.

Geoffrey Sharpe, a citizen who has been involved with fighting crime
in Bay Ward and attended the report's release, said Mr.
Chettleburgh's findings are too mild, though he welcomed the
acknowledgment that Ottawa has a gang problem at all.

Mr. Sharpe said it's naive to think that more social programs are
going to stop hardened gang members in their 20s from committing home
invasions.

He said the study is just a tool for generating more studies and more
social programs when the proper response is tougher police action,
serious treatment in the courts and city councillors getting involved.

However, Alex Munter, executive director of the Youth Services Bureau
of Ottawa, said prevention strategies for youth crime pay off. For
instance, a drop-in program at the Michelle Heights neighbourhood
helped ease the crime problem there. And when youth drug problems
were a major concern in the Debra Dynes community off Prince of Wales
Drive, a community centre started by police -- and now run by the
Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa -- helped turn things around.

Mr. Munter said there's been a big spending increase for policing of
youth gangs, but no such similar support for the small programs that
keep youths out of gangs.

"That's the penny that needs to drop," said Mr. Munter.