Pubdate: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Copyright: 2004, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/EdmontonSun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135 Author: Max Maudie and Shane Holladay IT'S ALL ABOUT DRUGS Murder cops yesterday said they're investigating the chance of a connection between the city's 27th and record-breaking 28th homicides. Edmonton Police Service Det. Dave Morrissey said the as-yet-unnamed Saturday homicide victim likely had ties with gangs. Saturday's corpse was found in Henrietta Muir Edwards Park, near the corner of 96A Street and 98A Avenue. Just before sunrise on Thursday morning, 21-year-old Souraphanh Beungxay was gunned down outside a west-end apartment. "We're not going to hide the fact this one we're dealing with, and probably the one a few days ago, both have gang affiliations," Morrissey said. "I think we're seeing more of a trend towards that sort of thing, gang-affiliated homicide." It's fierce competition in the drug trade that's fuelling the city's spike in slayings, say police. "Everything relates back to the sale of drugs and how these guys make a living off the sale of drugs," said Morrissey. "(Gang murders) usually happen out in public where innocent parties have a chance to be harmed." University of Alberta criminologist Keith Spencer said Edmonton is caught in a fierce struggle among rival gangs for control of the narcotics market. Aggravating matters is the city's high population of post-prison released offenders, he said. "The institutions are a great recruitment vehicle of gang members," Spencer said. "There is a tie-in. We've got an awful lot of experienced offenders in the community." When these cons are released, many find the money they're making washing dishes just doesn't compare to the cash they could be raking in selling drugs, he said. Det. Wil Tonowski, who works with high-risk offenders, said Spencer has the problem nailed. "Our detectives in the drug unit tell me quite often that all of the major crime in the city, especially the gangs and the gang-related homicides, are drug-related," Tonowski said. Vengeance and retribution often play into gang violence, said EPS homicide Det. Ron Johnson. "Something may blow up in (gang members') faces and you get some of the retaliation stuff," he said. "Not too many people are killed by perfect strangers." Out for a morning walk with his wife yesterday, metres from the latest murder scene, Chris Thompson, 54, said it's that lack of randomness that comforts him. "Gang-related murder never really bothers me because I always feel it's directed at the gangs." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth