FORUM DEALS WITH GANG ISSUES

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie says more investigation is needed before the
city puts full support behind an integrated police task force to deal with
Indo-Canadian drug violence which has killed 75 youths in the Lower
Mainland over the past 10 years.

"If it looks like that would be part of the solution, I'd be more than
willing to do it," he says. "I just don't know whether it would go in that
direction or not."

Brodie says he will be discussing the issue with Richmond RCMP and the
other cities who would be involved in the integrated task force. Brodie
attended a forum discussing the deaths of young Indo-Canadians involved in
organized crime and says the city definitely wants to be part of the solution.

Enforcement is necessary to treat the issue in the short term, says Brodie.
Richmond is also looking at long-range measures, including social
strategies, which could see police liaison officers involved in more
Richmond schools.

Balwant Sanghera, a Richmond resident and part of the Indo-Canadian group
organizing the forum, says getting Lower Mainland mayors involved is just
one prong of the group's multi-faceted approach.

The group of about 30 Indo-Canadian community leaders met with the recently
formed Vancouver Police task force three weeks ago and provincial
government representatives last week. In the next few months, the group
will meet with members of the judiciary to discuss tougher sentences for
drug dealers and the federal government representatives to try to tighten
laws for organized crime.

Sanghera, who works as a psychologist for the Burnaby School District, also
says more police-liaison officers are needed, even at the elementary school
level. "They can look out for the unsavory element on school grounds and
keep them away and at the same time be available for the kids when they
need help."

When the first forum was held last year, Sanghera said the group decided
they needed to deal with the five per cent of youths tarnishing the rest of
Indo-Canadian kids.

Since, Sanghera says, parenting classes and mentorship programs - putting
youth in tough with the likes of police, sports stars and businessmen -
have helped the typically closed-mouth community open up and talk about the
issue.