THE CHANGING FACE OF CRIME IN CANADA

The Crimes They Are A-Changing.

Organized crime in Canada has changed considerably over the last
several years, and a more traditional criminal who has been, let's
say, "away" for some time is likely to find that the old workplace
has changed considerably.

Here's a look at some of the ways that organized crime in Canada has
changed, based on recent annual reports of the Criminal Intelligence
Service of Canada, which collects information about organized crime
from 380 law enforcement agencies across the country.

Competition: This year, the CISC identified 800 organized crime
groups across the country. As the cultural portrait of Canada has
changed, so too have its crime groups, and now criminals from more
communities than ever are fighting for a piece of the pie, with the
newest players being Eastern European crime groups, which are
concentrated in Ontario, loosely organized, opportunistic and
specialize in drugs and fraud.

The most sophisticated crime groups in Canada continue to be Asian
and Italian groups and some Hells Angels chapters. Their operations
tend to be larger, more complex and more resistant to disruption by police.

At least one expert believes Johnny Papalia's 1997 murder helped open
the door for the establishment of the first Hells Angels chapters in
Ontario three years later. The gang now has more than 200 members and
16 chapters in Ontario, including a new chapter in Hamilton this
year. Hamilton's Walter Stadnik, now serving time in a Quebec prison,
is a senior member of the gang.

But the organization suffered a body blow last week after police
forces across Ontario swooped down and arrested 28 Angels and
associates. One was arrested in Hamilton, though the city chapter was
not affected.

Italian-based crime groups continue to be centred mainly in Montreal,
Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor and Niagara. In 2004, the last time it
specifically addressed Italian-based crime, the CISC described
Ontario-based traditional organized crime groups as "very
sophisticated and capable of a wide range of criminal activities,
including drug trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering and
large-scale fraud."

Asian organized crime is most active in British Columbia's lower
mainland, Calgary, Edmonton and in the Toronto area. Police have
linked Asian crime groups to payment card fraud, illegal gambling,
loan sharking, prostitution, human smuggling and drugs.

Street gangs, involving primarily young men under 30, are violent,
visible, and especially dangerous to the public. But police find them
less criminally sophisticated than outlaw motorcycle gangs and
ethnic-based crime groups. There are now an estimated 300 street
gangs in Canada, with 11,000 members. Their scope, generally
speaking, is local, and they tend to lack the resources and
connections of more established groups, concentrating primarily on
drugs, theft and the sex trade. Gun violence is prevalent among
street gangs, as demonstrated by several recent incidents on the
streets of Hamilton.

The gangs are taking an increasingly prominent place in this city.
Hamilton police swept up 10 members in a series of raids late in
September. But investigators concede that doesn't make much of a
dent. They estimate there are at least 300 gangsters in the city.

The guns-and-gangs squad was recently increased to deal with the threat.

But it's not just large-scale organized crime. There's plenty of
other action going on across the city.

Gunfire erupted twice on James Street North last month, with two men
badly wounded in one attack. Further east, there have been a series
of shootings, one of which killed a man outside an Ottawa Street
North bar a year ago.

Globalization: More than ever, a bust in one part of the world
creates opportunities and challenges elsewhere.

"Criminal markets are dynamic and evolve over time as they react to
market forces, such as supply and demand," the CISC says. "The number
of organized crime groups, their changing inter-relationships, and
specific market dynamics contribute to the complexity of the Canadian
criminal marketplace."

Drugs: Demand is as insatiable as ever, though the drugs in demand
have changed a little. Ecstasy, crack cocaine and methamphetamine
appeal to "niche" markets, while marijuana and cocaine continue to
dominate the market. An estimated 80 per cent of all organized crime
groups are involved in the import, production, distribution or sale
of illegal drugs.

Technology: Organized criminals are keeping up to date and even ahead
of technological developments, exploiting opportunities for identity
theft and credit-card fraud, and intercepting electronic
communications from computers and personal digital assistants.