B.C. GANGS BATTLE FOR CITY'S DRUG TRADE

Police Blame Shootings On Turf War Over Crack

Disputes between organized crime groups from British Columbia staking
their claim in the drug trade are behind a flurry of shootings in Calgary.

Two of the four shootings in the past couple of weeks involved
criminal groups from B.C., police said Wednesday.

"Ultimately, they're coming here to test the water," said Calgary
police Insp. Ed Yeomans.

Insp. Shaun Gissing of the organized crime operations centre said
crack cocaine -- with its high profits -- is likely behind the spate
of shootings as organized crime groups compete to carve out their
place in the market.

"When somebody else moves in on that, with an illegal business, the
way it's settled is ordinarily through violence," he said.

Only 24 hours after a gunfight in the Beltline sent a man to hospital
with a wound to his ankle Monday evening, shots were fired from a
speeding car at another vehicle on 68th Street N.E. around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

These shootings, and the one at Motel Village on Aug. 8 that sent a
man to hospital, have been in public locations because, while not
random, they are spontaneous.

"When these criminal groups come across each other, they don't care
where they are. If the violence fires up and deteriorates to the
point where firearms are used, they're not careful about their
surroundings," Gissing said.

And at the centre of most of the shootings are drugs.

"These have been disputes between groups of drug traffickers --
largely disputes over territory, some disputes over debts owed," Gissing said.

Yeomans, who is in charge of the officers investigating Monday's
shooting in the 200 block of 12th Avenue S.W., said the gunfight was
"all over drug turf in the downtown core."

Police seized a .25-calibre handgun and a small quantity of crack
cocaine from a residence in the 4500 block of Valiant Drive N.W. on
Tuesday and took several people into custody in connection with the shooting.

Most of those people are from B.C., Yeomans said.

Jesse Cecil Ollivierre, 22, who has ties to B.C., has been charged
with six firearms offences, breach of recognizance and possession of
a controlled substance.

Alberta's booming economy may be part of the draw for criminal groups
arriving in Calgary.

From an organized crime perspective, it makes sense that the boom
would attract people who want to take advantage of money circulating
in the community, Gissing said.

"Some will be people that want to take advantage through illegitimate means."

While no bystanders have been harmed in the spate of shootings,
Gissing said police fear an innocent citizen will be struck down.

"I'm sure the individuals would much rather have these conflicts take
place in quiet, dark areas where no one can witness them," he said.

"They know the vastly increased attention they'll get from the police
if innocent people are put at risk."

Meanwhile, police are investigating Tuesday's shooting. They said the
victim and the suspect know each other and are locals known to police.

"They used to be associates that ended up going their own ways and
now they're fighting over turf," Insp. Rob Williams said.

Recent Shootings in Calgary

2006

Aug. 21: Man injured during gunfight between pedestrians and people
in a car in 200 block of 12th Avenue S.W.

Aug. 17: Man wounded in the arm in a Falconridge car wash.

Aug. 8: Man taken to hospital following shooting at Motel Village.

July 6: Drive-by shooting at Pacific Place Mall. No one injured.

June 22: Two Martindale homes hit during attempted shooting of a man
in a vehicle. No one hurt.

June 18: Two men wounded at dance at Marlborough community hall.

May 28: Occupants from one vehicle fire at another as both drive
north on Edmonton Trail. At least one round hits car headed in other direction.

May 9: Two men injured in a dispute over drugs on a Forest Lawn street.

March 8: One man shot dead and another injured at 50th Street and
Barlow Trail S.E.

Feb. 12: A 25-year-old man is shot three times on Templehill Drive
N.E. He survives.

Jan. 21: A 29-year-old man is shot in the torso after a fight in
Cherry Lounge at 13th Avenue and 1st Street S.W.

Jan. 4: A man is injured in a drive-by shooting in the Beltline.

2005

Sept. 18: A 38-year-old man is shot in the leg outside the Whiskey
nightclub on 10th Avenue S.W.

Aug. 27: Marc Cote, 24, of Edmonton, and Davinder (David) Kajla, 25,
are killed near Chinatown.

Compiled by Andrea Caza, Calgary Herald

Source: Calgary Herald Archives