PROMISING STEP IN WAR ON GANGS

The past two weeks have been unsettling for Lower Mainland
residents.

It seems that almost every day there has been a gang-related
shooting.

The tally so far: Four dead. Two-and possibly a third from Thursday's
shooting on North Road in Burnaby-wounded.

Bullets have been flying on the streets and mall parking lots from
Abbotsford to Vancouver.

It's become a war zone-a disorganized orgy of violence between gangs
and their bit-player members, fighting for control of the drug trade,
exacting revenge for earlier hits, and carrying out retribution for
crossed loyalties, broken deals, and threats and insults, perceived or
real.

The fact that innocent citizens have not been directly gunned down, or
struck by stray rounds, is nothing short of a miracle.

The situation is appalling, and utterly unacceptable.

Finally, on Friday, the provincial government unveiled its plan to do
something about this growing problem, and it's an impressive package.

It includes 168 new police officers with a focus on gangs-131 of which
will be added immediately. This almost doubles the number of dedicated
officers working on organized crime to 368.

The other initiatives unveiled include adding 10 more prosecutors to
work on gang-related cases, more jails, tougher laws-notably, making
it harder for people accused of gun-related offences to get bail-as
well as a crackdown on illegal guns.

Will it be enough?

No. But it's a good start toward shifting the power
balance.

For too long, the gangsters have lived without fear of anything, other
than perhaps their competitors on the street.

B.C. has lacked a powerful-and empowered-police force to take them on,
equipped with all the appropriate equipment, laws and criminal justice
resources to ensure they can not only make the arrests, but also get
the gang bangers into jail.

In the effort to turn things around, this is a promising step. Ottawa
must now step forward and do its part.