Prince George RCMP Community Policing was thrilled with the community response to the Prince George Gang Crime Summit that was held at the Ramada Hotel Nov. 1 and 2.
Stakeholders, professionals, social agencies, service providers and the community overwhelmingly came together to share information and work towards positive partnerships.
It's a positive sign the public is aware and concerned by the increase of gang activity within the community, said RCMP superintendent Brenda Butterworth-Carr.
"The community has found their voice in looking for solutions to the gang problems. A strong turnout of stakeholders came together to identify solutions to this community-wide issue," said Butterworth-Carr, adding, a final report from the Open Spaces Forum will soon be available to the public, and will be presented to council for continued community action.
Prince George RCMP have seen increasing gang activity over the past few years, and are fighting back with targeted enforcement projects. With a strong community partnership, the local detachment grows stronger with teams like drug task force, crime reduction team, downtown enforcement unit, police dog services, emergency response team, general duty members, and traffic services.
Partnerships are growing as we work with additional resources from other specialized units within the RCMP such as combined forces special enforcement unit, uniformed gang task force, Integrated proceeds of crime, North District drug unit, and the criminal intelligence section, said Const. Lesley Smith, Prince George Media Liaison.
Since January Prince George RCMP attended more than 40 residences in relation to marijuana grow operations.
"Police executed more than 20 search warrants and investigations on properties involved in cultivating marijuana. As a result, police have seized more than 50,000 marijuana plants with a street value estimated at $35 million," said Smith.
"As well, there have been more than 200 drug-related investigations linked to organized crime. They include street checks of individuals, vehicle stops and the execution of search warrants to residences known as "crack shacks" run by organized crime groups. The raids have yielded more than 740 tabs of Ecstacy (street value of $7,400), more than 2,000 grams of cocaine and crack (street value of over $200,000) and more than 1,072 grams of methamphetamine (street value of over $85,000) .
In addition, RCMP have seized more than $270,000 in cash from individuals involved in organized crime, and removed about 30 firearms from our streets, either located at a marijuana grow operations, crack shacks or seized from individuals known to be involved with a gang," she said.
**Charges and arrests this year include:
Weapons possession: 44 arrested, 23 charged; possession of cannabis: 96 arrested, 25 charged; production of cannabis: 28 arrested, 19 charged; possession of cocaine: 61 arrested, 29 charged; and trafficking of cocaine: 61 arrested, 58 charged.
"A large percentage of these people have direct gang ties or are associated with organized crime groups operating in Prince George and northern region of B.C. We fully intend on continuing our enforcement initiatives and other targeted projects to disrupt these criminal organizations," said Smith.
"Despite the huge success of the Gang Crime Summit, the work to make this a safer community needs to continue, and that requires dedication, determination and commitment from all stakeholders, said RCMP Inspector Chris Bomford.
"Although the Prince George Detachment has made some significant strides towards dealing with gangs and organized crime, the city will require its community members to pull together to overcome the past, focus on the present, and prepare for the future."
