STREET GANGS HOOKING BOYS AS YOUNG AS 12

Batshaw 'Very Concerned'. Dealing Drugs, Guns A Growing Problem In
N.D.G., Little Burgundy And St. Henri

Baby-faced boys as young as 12 are being recruited by Montreal street
gangs to sell drugs and transport guns, the director of youth
protection for Batshaw Youth and Family Centres confirmed yesterday.

"We are very concerned about street gangs," said Michael Godman, who
oversees youth protection services for the anglophone community on
the island of Montreal.

"We are seeing more and more young adolescents gravitating toward
these gangs, where they get a sense of identity and security."

Godman said the problem has been growing over the past 18 months and
is particularly bad in Notre Dame de Grace, Little Burgundy and St. Henri.

He said gang leaders believe the younger the recruit, the easier it
is for them to "run drugs or even run guns."

Batshaw officials are increasingly fielding calls from concerned
mothers who say their boys are "out of control, not coming home or on drugs."

"These kids get hooked quite quickly," he said of the gang lifestyle.
"The gangs really have their tentacles into them."

Often, young recruits end up getting hooked on drugs themselves,
which perpetuates the cycle of violence.

Godman made the comments after a news conference in the east end,
where Quebec's 16 directors of youth protection made their annual
report public.

He said some concerned mothers, who are often single parents trying
to keep their family together, want Batshaw to "send the boy away,
fix him and bring him back."

But Godman said taking the young gang recruit out of the home is
often not the answer.

He said the solution involves having the mother work with social
workers, school counsellors or the police to help her regain control
over her son. Some mothers are dubious about that approach because by
the time they call Batshaw, they are at their wit's end, he said.

Godman suggested parents who believe their sons are involved in
street gangs should seek help from community groups in their
neighbourhood. They can also contact Batshaw, speak to their child's
school social worker or contact their community police officer.

Batshaw officials have no clear reason why street-gang activity has
been increasing among young boys over the past 18 months, he said.

Montreal police say battling street gangs continues to be their No. 1
priority. The gangs are involved in drug trafficking, prostitution and fraud.