POLICE TO MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR GANGSTERS

It's Friday night in Kelowna, and the name of a gang member is heard
across a police radio. Two unmarked police vehicles with their lights
flashing race across the William R. Bennett Bridge and pull over a
Cadillac driven by a man in his 20s.

"This started off as a vehicle driving erratically, and when we ran
the (licence) plate, we realized this was an individual associated
with a drug-trafficking network in Surrey," said RCMP Sgt. Shinder
Kirk. "It just shows you how valuable our information-sharing is, and
proves how these characters migrate and move around."

Kirk is a member of the Combined Special Forces Enforcement Unit
(CSFEU), a police task force created to combat gang violence and
activity in B.C. Made up of uniformed and covert officers from RCMP
detachments around the province, the integrated crew is in Kelowna
this weekend, monitoring gang activity.

A specially trained officer goes through the Cadillac, looking for
hidden compartments that could contain drugs or firearms. It's serious
business; these compartments can be built into cars at a cost anywhere
from $10,000 to $30,000.

After a search turns up nothing, the driver and three female
companions - one sobbing hysterically - are turned loose.

"We're looking for bad guys," says Cpl. Eldon Orregaard with a smile
as he juggles three radios and a computer from the driver's seat of
his unmarked Chevy Tahoe.

But he knows it's no laughing matter. The task force, created in 2008
after the massive increase in gang violence in the Lower Mainland,
works to build relationships with known gang members, hoping to
harvest nuggets of information on illegal activity. This intelligence
is fed into a giant network that is seamlessly shared with law
enforcement around the province and the country.

"In my opinion, this bridges a nice gap," said Orregaard. "You have
your investigative and surveillance sections out there, as well as
someone out on the road dealing with these gang guys face to face."

Kelowna is a hot spot for drug and other criminal activity, in part
due to its geographical location. It's close to the U.S. border and a
few hours' drive to Vancouver, with its port.

Kelowna is also a well-known family and recreation area, and smack in
the middle of the Okanagan.

"No community is immune," said Kirk. "The question isn't 'Why are they
here?' It's 'What are they doing?' Gangs are actively involved in any
community where there is a demand for their products."

On this night, the task force first travels in a four-vehicle unmarked
convoy to Vernon, where the team splits up and drives the main roads,
focusing on nightclubs and restaurants that are known hangouts for
gang members.

Vernon RCMP drug investigator Matt Rattee has dealt with organized
crime gangs such as the Independent Soldiers, United Nations and the
Red Scorpions in Vernon, and he's happy to show the task force around.

"Vernon is perceived to be a quiet town, but we're seeing the
tentacles of organized crime reach out and touch our area," said
Rattee. "We are seeing the same violent encounters that you see on the
Lower Mainland, just on a smaller scale."

In every city, the team is dealing with a complicated network of
individuals. At the bottom are street gangs - less sophisticated and
perhaps fractured - all the way up to organized crime, whether it's
the Asian triads, the Mafia or outlaw motorcycle gangs. Mid-level
gangs exist, too. These groups compete, but they also co-operate, so
they are sometimes allies and sometimes enemies.

Kirk believes it's like peeling back layers of an onion.

"For all the known groups, how many groups are there that have not
created an identity for themselves?" he said. "So, let's not focus on
their names. Let's just focus on what they do."

As the officers glide by a local Vernon gym, they notice some reputed
gang members talking to a local man. When he exits the gym, the police
flashers go on and officers step out to talk to him. He is visibly
agitated and anxious. He agrees to a search of his car, and officers
find a small amount of hashish.

It's not a big bust, but officers want these individuals to know they
are paying attention to what is going on. It's policing - on steroids.
Gang members don't like it because it's disruptive and interrupts
business, which is exactly the point.

"Predominantly, it is the drug trade we are dealing with, but these
groups are entrepreneurial," said Kirk. "They'll do whatever it takes
to make money, whether it be fraud, theft rings, robberies - whatever
makes them a buck."

Back in Kelowna, the task force continues patrolling downtown. On a
typical night, members - both uniformed and covert - will walk through
red-flagged nightclubs and restaurants, checking identification,
checking for weapons and continuing to do routine traffic stops of
suspicious vehicles.

A doorman at a nightclub on Leon Avenue shook his head when asked
about any gang-related activity that night.

"Just your average drunk college kids tonight," he said with a
grin.

The CSFEU has offices in Victoria, Vancouver and Prince George, and
task force members congregate, share information and travel to
whatever cities around the province would benefit from their presence.

Officers know that since the unit's inception, incidents of gang
violence are down. However, not for one second do they believe they
completely have the upper hand.

"It's going to take a monumental effort, not only from law enforcement
officers but from the community as well." said Kirk. "This is a call
to action, if you know of something or you are living next door to a
house you have questions about. We want to get the community mobilized
to address this from a social perspective as well as from a criminal
perspective."

Sgt. Orregaard is finishing up some notes after pulling over three
guys in a souped-up white pickup with its tail lights illegally
blacked out. After checking IDs and a short conversation, the guys
drive away.

"They didn't look like bad guys," he said, smiling, but added, "We
just want to curb the gang activity. The ideal is no gang activity at
all, but that's not realistic. We just want to make it very clear
who's running the show around here . . . and it's not them."