'TIDE IS CHANGING' IN FIGHT AGAINST GANGS POLICE SAY

As Surrey police crack down against drugs and ID theft, the public is
urged to help end organized crime

"Are you willing to turn a blind eye to cash?"

That's what Sgt. Shinder Kirk, of the RCMP's Combined Forces Special
Enforcement Unit - British Columbia (CFSEU-BC), asks as police aim to
educate people about their role in putting an end to gang violence.

Organized crime functions primarily through the use of cash - lots of
it. The RCMP is increasing gang-related crime enforcement but is
having difficulty stopping money laundering because people continue to
be lured by the bait.

"It's a very difficult question," said Kirk on how police plan to
tackle the challenge.

Education is the solution they're hoping works best.

Kirk noted that every service or commercial enterprise, from car
dealerships to cellphone companies to travel agents, could be
approached by gang affiliates looking for an easy way to make a
purchase they need.

The bottom line, as attractive as a $10,000 cash payment might be, is
that accepting those funds perpetuates the behaviour and could
ultimately bring harm to the recipient.

He said businesses being offered large cash payments should ask the
customer where they work if something doesn't seem right.

Gangsters often won't have credit cards because they aren't legally
employed. In some cases, car dealers or repairmen have been offered
thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for a better-looking car.

If they refused, that gangster, stuck with a less attractive car,
would have less success in the criminal world.

In other cases, people in Metro Vancouver with clean records were
approached to rent cars in exchange for a nice paycheck, or were asked
to open bank accounts for a cut of the money.

"If you are concerned at all that it might be a line that is involved
in a criminal lifestyle, you might want to bring it to the attention
of the authorities," Kirk said.

But it's not always so clear-cut, especially for young
people.

Recruitment sometimes involves enticing young adults through sponsored
parties, cash or material things, such as iPods or clothing.

Kirk said young people can be pulled in with the "classic lie" the
gang will "have your back," and get killed as a result, referencing
four young men who were slain in Abbotsford last year due to perceived
links to the Bacon brothers.

Kirk noted the solution "will not come overnight."

"We did play a little bit of catch up. The tide is slowly
changing.

"We're actually getting ahead of not only violent acts but some of the
groups that are forming," he said, on the formation of the Integrated
Gang Task Force, which was set up in response to blatantly public violence.

That success he attributes to an increase in enforcement and
communication with the public and local governments.

"Have we turned a corner? Absolutely. Have we seen success? Yes we
have. Are we there? Have we completely turned the issue of gangs
around so that we won't see any more violence? Absolutely not.

"We're not so naive as to think that, but we have had significant
success."