Pubdate: Thu, 08 Jan 2015
Source: Metro (Ottawa, CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Metro
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/Ottawa
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4032
Author: Sean McKibbon

POLICE CHIEF PENS OPEN LETTER ON GANG VIOLENCE

Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau wrote an open letter to city
residents about recent street gang violence, distributed Wednesday.

In the letter while saying "we live in a safe city," Bordeleau
acknowledges an increase in "targeted, street gang-related shootings,"
and says the incidents are related to illegal drugs, the availability
of guns, and the "increased willingness of street gang members to use
them."

Bordealeau says preventing the activity and arresting those involved
is a "top operational priority" for the force, but says longer-term
solutions lie with community agencies who can assist in steering
people away from the gang lifestyle.

Below is the full letter:

January 7, 2015

Open Letter by Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau

We live in a safe city. However, as police, we recognize that there
are fluctuations in crime to which we must be prepared to respond.

While reported crime is down, there has been an increase in targeted,
street gang-related shootings. These incidents have taken place across
the city, in various neighbourhoods, and with the common linkage being
the illegal drug trade, the availability of hand guns, and the
increased willingness of street gang members to use them.

I recognize the concern in the community about these shootings. There
is always a threat that these targeted shootings can result in an
innocent person being struck.

Preventing this activity, arresting the individuals responsible, and
ensuring they are held accountable by the court system continues to be
a top operational priority of the Ottawa Police.

But while the focus of the Ottawa Police is squarely on enforcement
and proactive policing, we know that the solutions to this issue rest
with the community at large. Those longer-term solutions include
continued and increased police focus but also increased focus from
community agencies who can assist in steering people away from, or out
of, the gang lifestyle.

We are responding to these incidents with an increased enforcement
strategy that will hold offenders accountable. We have doubled the
number of investigators in our Guns and Gangs Unit and we have members
in Patrol, Districts, and the Drug Unit focused on investigating,
identifying, charging, and keeping close tabs on known gang associates
and prolific offenders.

I am confident in the officers working to deal with this increase.
They have been doing excellent work on this issue. In 2014 alone, 83
gang members and associates were arrested with hundreds of charges
laid.

More than 50 crime guns were seized by Ottawa Police in 2014 and more
than half of those were handguns. According to provincial statistics,
about 60% of crime guns in Ontario are foreign-sourced and smuggled
into Canada often originating in the United States. About 20% are
domestically sourced and another 20% have no known origin.

Even after individuals are charged, our police work is often not done.
In cases where individuals have been released on court conditions, our
Direct Action Response Team officers conduct hundreds of compliance
checks to ensure they are keeping to those conditions. In 2014, 29
street gang members or associates were found in breach of conditions
and arrested.

About two years ago, we began a discussion on a city-wide gang
strategy that includes enforcement but also supports and help for
individuals and families vulnerable to the gang lifestyle.

Through our partnerships with Crime Prevention Ottawa, we are
supporting the Ottawa Gang Strategy which is designed to help prevent
or curtail future gang membership. For example, we are working with
the Children's Aid Society and community partners like the John Howard
Society and You Turn to reach out to younger siblings of gang involved
youth to break the cycle of violence in families.

The Youth Services Bureau is building a Trades Centre to offer
training, employment possibilities and hope to youth involved with the
law who are currently making money illegally but need new, realistic
sources of income.

There have been hundreds of people involved in information sessions
and relationship building exercises to develop a more positive
understanding between the criminal justice system and immigrant
communities.

We are also looking at ways to address gaps in supports such as the
need for support for offenders who come out of jail with the gang
lifestyle as their only perceived option.

A great amount of work still needs to be done and our officers are
committed to the task of protecting community safety. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D