ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Community is the newest key weapon in combatting the spiral of gang
and gun violence in the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver, says the
head of the province's gang task force.

Supt. Dan Malo, officer in charge of the B.C. Integrated Gang Task
Force (IGTF), said the recent tactic by police agencies of issuing
public warnings about gangsters is having great outcomes.

"Police are seeing that the attitude by the public that 'enough is
enough' is very beneficial to law enforcement," said Malo.

"The main message here is the community needs to be mad and intolerant
of people in this lifestyle.

"They need to make clear they no longer wish to have these people in
their community, and that they don't want their dirty money."

Constantly being in the public eye makes it very difficult for
Abbotsford-raised gangsters like the Bacon brothers and associate
Dennis Karbovanec to conduct their business, said Malo.

The three Bacon brothers - Jonathan, Jamie and Jarrod, who are
associated with the Red Scorpions gang - have been targeted by the
rival UN Gang.

The IGTF and Port Moody police have issued extraordinary warnings to
avoid contact with the Bacons and Karbovanec in the interest of public
safety. The practice of warning the public and gang associates of the
dangers of associating with certain individuals will continue, said
Malo.

"The most important thing for police is protecting the community," he
said. "In the future we will continue to advise the individuals, their
associates and go public if there is significant risk."

The recent arrest of Jonathan Bacon and Karbovanec on fraud charges is
another step in the right direction, he said.

"Any time you see a gang member before the courts, it's a good thing.
We're going to have to see how it's going to play out."

The police plan to keep applying constant pressure.

"We will seek charge approval on any offence. If they do anything
wrong, we will charge them, and it will continue."

However, the recent arrests and public warnings have not abated the
gang-related shootings and deaths plaguing the region. A man is in
hospital with gun wounds to the back following a shooting early Monday
morning in Vancouver. The victim, in his 30s, was shot on Kingsway
Avenue at Slocan Street around 2:30 a.m.

Last week's killing included gang-style hits of Abbotsford resident
Sukhwinder Dhaliwal in Delta and another man in Vancouver. Both bodies
were discovered in vehicles.

There have been more than 30 shootings and 12 deaths since the start
of the new year.

The spike in violence has been in the making for the last couple of
years, said Malo.

"It's not overnight," he said. "There's been an increase in gang
activity over the last couple of years."

The violence is related to a vicious battle over drugs, power and
money, he said.

"There's been a shift in the market within the gangs, and the stealing
of territory and drug lines.

"[Gang members] see the need for violence in protecting their turf.
That's what you're seeing today."

The violence and gang activity is not limited to any one community, he
said. Nor is any one gang necessarily dominant in one area.

The fact the UN Gang had its origins in Abbotsford and the Fraser
Valley does not mean it controls the drug trade in the region.

"It's more an ebb and flow [situation] where one gang will encroach on
another. It's not 'he who shows up first and puts a flag in the
ground' rules."

Drugs in the Valley are also being plied by the Red Scorpions and
Independent Soldiers, as well as smaller breakout groups trying to
distribute product in the region.

The membership of mid-level gang players is very fluid, with
associates constantly shifting their allegiance and trying to cut side
deals with rivals, said Malo.

"There are no gentlemen's rules when it comes to gang activity," he
said.