HELLS ANGELS ACTIVITY WORRIES BROOKS MAYOR

An apparent escalation of activity by the Hells Angels in Brooks is
raising concerns for the city's mayor.

Mayor Don Weisbeck said about 40 members of the Hells Angels came
into the city on June 2 and spent several hours that day and the next
at a local hotel having meetings.

Weisbeck said the Hells Angels have had a presence in Brooks for
several years, but having them come in full colours raises the
concern they are bringing a different level of activity to the community.

"It's a show of force. That does concern us," he said Wednesday.

He added that the organized crime group has established a puppet club
in the city to sell drugs and he worries about rivalry between gangs
fighting over the drug market. "We can't be intimidated by them," he said.

RCMP officers are doing their best to combat the problem, said
Weisbeck, and there has been some success in terms of arrests.

RCMP spokesman Sgt. Patrick Webb said the Hells Angels' stop in
Brooks on June 2 is a concern to the force, as it would be if they
stopped in any other community.

"RCMP are always concerned whenever there are any organized criminal
groups, such as the Hells Angels," he said.

"We are constantly observing and investigating when criminal activity
is identified."

Weisbeck said the city is also looking at ways to continue fighting
the drug problem.

Last year, the city established a drug task force and implemented the
Crime Stoppers program.

It is also working with the RCMP to try to establish a full-time
member to work in schools and protect the community's young people from drugs.