GANG CRACKDOWN STARTS NOV. 21

Police Blitz on Street Crime to Last 90 Days - Rookies to Free Up
Seasoned Officers

THE first step of Operation Clean Sweep -- the police crackdown of
street crime in the west and north ends -- was taken yesterday when 22
police officers joined the ranks of the Winnipeg Police Service.

The officers will immediately fill other positions to free up 45 more
seasoned officers to be assigned to Clean Sweep.

Insp. Boyd Campbell, who's heading up the special enforcement project
announced last week by Mayor Sam Katz and police Chief Jack Ewatski,
said yesterday those officers will hit the streets the week of Nov.
21.

"We wouldn't stick a bunch of kids out there," Campbell said, adding
Clean Sweep is tentatively planned to run about 90 days.

Campbell also said officers for the project will be hand-picked; one
from every shift in each of the six districts will be chosen.

He said a special tip line and a link to the police website will be
created as part of the project.

He said the plan is to attack visible street crime in the city's core,
the West End and the North End. Crimes include petty drug dealing,
gang activity and prostitution.

Campbell's son, Colin, was one of the officers who graduated at a
ceremony yesterday at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.

Supt. Art Stannard said it's possible Clean Sweep could be expanded
into the new year as talks are ongoing between the city and provincial
government to extend funding.

Clean Sweep comes on the heels of the Oct. 10 slaying of Phil Haiart
in a gang-related shooting. He was walking down a street and
apparently got caught in the cross-fire between warring street gang
members.

The project comes with a price tag of $1.6 million, with $800,000 of
that in new money from city coffers.

A judicial source said yesterday even though Clean Sweep has yet to
see its first bust, the province's courts and jails are already
bracing for a huge influx of arrests.

He said there's genuine concern that the already backlogged courts and
overcrowded jails are going to be hit even harder by an overflow of
new prisoners.

The Winnipeg Remand Centre, Headingley Correctional Centre and Brandon
Correctional Centre currently hold more inmates than they were built
to house.

The major reason for overcrowding is that many prisoners are in
custody awaiting trial. At the same time, Manitoba also has one of the
highest rates of keeping young offenders in pre-trail custody in Canada.

The province has already said it plans to increase the number of beds
in the Winnipeg Remand Centre and Headingley Correctional Centre.

The source also said Operation Clean Sweep tackles only one aspect of
crime -- it does not address its root causes.

But in addressing police graduates yesterday, Katz said a plan is
being developed to deal with just that.

"You've got to get tough on the causes of crime and crime itself," he
told the new officers and their families.

"You cannot build a community unless it is safe and secure. We are
sending in the right people to restore order in areas where criminals
have the upper hand." A second source, a high-ranking official in the
Justice Department, said the province is eager to see the results of
Clean Sweep.

He said the police service can easily bump up its statistics by
arresting people on outstanding warrants, like those issued for
failing to show up in court.

He said the true test of Clean Sweep will come in the number of
firearms and drugs seized.