RCMP SEE LINKS TO GANGS IN ALBERTA

Paraphernalia seized by RCMP in a drug raid indicates local links
with an aboriginal gang involved in drugs in Edmonton and Calgary and
active inside Alberta prisons.

Police here are determining whether the Redd Alert street gang
presence in Kamloops reaches beyond the two men arrested in the raid.

"They're (Redd Alert) new to the community," said Kamloops RCMP Insp.
Yves Lacasse.

"We're actively researching the group."

While the aboriginal street gang might be new to police here, it is
an acknowledged part of the drug world in Alberta.

An Oct. 31 story in the Edmonton Sun detailed an assault on Dennis
Sinclair, a senior member of Redd Alert who was kicked into a coma
this spring at the Edmonton Remand Centre.

A report by the John Howard Society in 2001 singled out Redd Alert as
one of the most organized and powerful aboriginal street gangs in
Edmonton, Calgary and on native reserves.

"Police monitoring of these gangs has revealed a close relationship
between aboriginal gangs and the Hells Angels," the report states.

Dean Parthenis, a spokesman for the Edmonton Police, said the
department's policy is not to name particular street gangs, but he
confirmed groups like Redd Alert are mainly concerned with the
illegal drug trade.

"People have to look at the bigger picture and realize a lot of
gangs, street-level or not, will do what they can to branch out," he said.

"They're looking for connections in other communities. You won't
necessarily have people involved coming from Edmonton moving to other
areas. They develop contacts over time."

Parthenis said street gangs are involved to a lesser extent in
prostitution and theft.

The jacket seized by Kamloops RCMP feature the name Redd Alert and
native-style art. At the bottom was "British Columbia."

"Just like the bottom rocker of a patch," said Lacasse, noting the
similarity to outlaw motorcycle gang insignia that denote chapters by city.

Lacasse said members here are familiar with Redd Alert but are
uncertain about the depth of its involvement in the local drug trade.

"We're seeing more gang presence in Kamloops. It's not unusual to see
Hells Angels in Kamloops or other criminal gangs."