EASTERN CRIMINALS SEEK ALBERTA ADVANTAGE

(CNS) - A growing tide of criminal gang members from Ottawa has
headed west over the past year, looking for new business in Alberta.

A market full of young, cash-rich customers who want to party hard
makes dealing crack cocaine in Wild Rose Country a textbook lesson in
supply and demand.

Sgt. Anthony Costantini, of the Ottawa police guns and gangs unit,
said the exodus isn't going to stop any time soon. "The bottom line
is they are going out there to make money," he said. "And there's
lots of money to be made."

He estimated at least 20 members of street gangs from Ottawa have
left town over the past 12 months -- many of whom are associated with
the Ledbury-Banff Crips, whom police have tied to a recent shooting
in Ottawa, among other crimes.

Police said these gang members have had little trouble drumming up
new business on new turf -- the problems, so far, have come with
staying out of trouble with police.

Calgary police say the influx of criminals swarming here is being
closely monitored.

"Some of these individuals have been specifically targeted from the
Ottawa area and they've been coming here to try to operate unknown,"
said Insp. Shaun Gissing of Calgary's Organized Crime Operations Centre.

"Of course, they're not likely going to accomplish that because we're
closely working with Ottawa authorities."

Calgary's organized crimefighters are working closely with Ottawa
police to keep gang members and cocaine traffickers on their radar.

"Our strong economy is attracting a criminal element to operate
here," said Gissing. "What we're finding is they're coming here while
still maintaining those associations and friendships."

It's not the first time Alberta has seen an unpopular wave of
migration to its cities.

Former Calgary mayor and Alberta premier Ralph Klein once famously
said Calgary was suffering from "eastern bums and creeps" who were
driving up the city's crime rate during the early 1980s.

Staff Sgt. Monty Sparrow heads up the drug squad for the Calgary
Police Service. Since last spring, Calgary has become "a more
lucrative market for cocaine," he said, and the city has seen
out-of-town gang members move in to grab a piece of the market.

But, "It's tough from a police perspective to say how much cocaine
there is in the city because we just don't know," Sparrow said.