'BIG CITY' CRIME HERE IN YORK, CHIEF SAYS

In the wake of a rash of sensational crimes, the face of this
community is changing -- and not for the better, York Regional Police
Chief Armand La Barge said yesterday.

"The south end of York Region is becoming a lot more like the north
end of Toronto," he said. "More big city, less small town."

Lst weekend's Mirage Spa triple murder, an abundance of marijuana grow
operations, carjackings, home invasions and increasingly violent
crimes are becoming commonplace.

Pot growhouses are found tucked inside many southern York Region
subdivisions and there are more than 100 body rub parlours across
York, which police say are selling sex, highlighted by this latest
grisly triple homicide.

"People say the community has accepted (massage parlours) because they
are off the street, not right out in front of their faces, but I doubt
the community would accept 600 prostitutes walking past them on the
streets," he said.

"They wouldn't tolerate that for a minute and in reality, that's
exactly what our officers see every day inside these places.

"They are fronts for prostitution and a recipe for disaster attracting
gang activity and organized crime."

While the chief said there's no indication of a gang war or
territorial fights between rival gangs, he said gang-related criminal
activity has been around York Region for more than 30 years and isn't
moving out any time soon.

It started with the Satan's Choice outlaw motorcycle club and has
evolved into the Hell's Angels presence in Woodbridge and Keswick and
an ever increasing number of ethnic-based gangs all around the region,
he said.

In York, Chief La Barge said, marijuana grow operations are often
associated with Vietnamese gangs, while in other communities in
Western Canada, they are more closely linked to bikers.

But as far as the body rub business is concerned, it's many faces from
many places, he said.

"It's definitely not (just an Asian problem.) Massage parlours involve
people from all over the world. There really isn't a specific group
behind it. It crosses all lines. It doesn't have anything to do with
race. It's about criminality."

The chief also suggested the violence and criminal activity inside
massage parlours has reached epidemic proportions over the past few
years.

In 2003, he said four violent robberies were reported at York Region
massage parlours. He estimated four or five are reported every year.

"But those are just the ones that are reported. Probably only 10 per
cent of robberies at massage parlours are actually reported to police.
They prefer to deal with it themselves," he said.

"There are some legitimate massage parlours out there, but we haven't
seen many. When you go in these places, there's little doubt what's
going on. The women are dressed very provocatively, just as they are
in their ads and business cards. You aren't going in there to get some
work done on your pulled hamstring or anything like that. In reality,
why would a girl need to take her clothes off to give you a massage?
It's very clear it's prostitution."

Chief La Barge has called for more effective legislation to help
police close the body rubs down.

However, in the absence of a quick change to the criminal code, he
says the force's drugs and vice unit will continue to work closely
with bylaw officers across the region, using municipal body rub bylaws
to their advantage.

He also said the law allows police to go after the landlords who rent
to illegal massage parlours, forcing them to keep their units empty
for up to two years should they be caught in the act.

It is an offence to solicit sex. But the chief said the difficulty in
gathering evidence against the men who frequent body rubs has
prevented police from going after them just yet.

"For now we're just going after the business side," he added.