Police expect rise in biker violence

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This article was published 14/07/2011 (5426 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They have been trading bullets and firebombs for nearly a month, apparently without fear of prosecution or payback. Yet, two feuding Winnipeg biker gangs may only be getting started as they prepare to take their “turf war” to the next level.

Justice sources say the fact there have been no deaths stemming from 13 recent incidents between the Hells Angels and Rock Machine is likely by design. The only casualty to date has been a 14-year-old boy who suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being hit by stray gunfire last week. Every other incident has resulted in mostly minor property damage.

“This is definitely them sending a message to each other at this point. That’s why you haven’t seen people being targeted yet,” a source told the Free Press on Wednesday.

Privately, police fear it’s only a matter of time before the street situation becomes more dangerous as “messages” give way to mayhem.

“It’s likely to escalate,” the source said. “The Hells are arrogant and do not tolerate any other club in their province without their blessing. A lot of them have many connections, so I would expect them to have access to many kinds of weapons right now.”

Those may include military-style weaponry and explosives, which bikers have been caught trying to stockpile in recent years. Yet suspecting they’ve stockpiled a cache of weapons is easy — finding out where they are being hidden is another matter. Police have tried to blanket the city in recent weeks and their dealings with bikers and associates have skyrocketed in the past month, according to another justice source.

The Hells Angels and Rock Machine had a major battle in Quebec during the 1990s that saw more than 100 people killed, including a small child who was a victim of one of the many car bombs that became synonymous with the war.

Winnipeg police admitted publicly on Wednesday they are trying to get a handle on the flare-up in violence, which began with the June 14 arson of a Logan Avenue business tied to the Hells Angels. The most recent attack happened early Wednesday morning when an Osborne Street tattoo parlour, also linked to the Hells Angels, was firebombed.

Police arrested two men, aged 34 and 24, who sources told the Free Press have ties to the Rock Machine. No charges had been laid as of late Wednesday.

“If we had a magic wand where we could stop this, we certainly would,” Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen told a news conference on Wednesday at the Public Safety Building. “But we have to understand there is a lot of complexities in place here. We’re dealing with different groups, we’re dealing with a lot of different individuals involved in this form of activity, and it is challenging but it doesn’t stop us… we’ve been working around the clock,” said Michalyshen.

The other 12 reported incidents between the two gangs have not resulted in arrests. Sources say police are facing the typical problem with these types of cases — those seemingly being targeted aren’t in a hurry to co-operate with investigators.

“Winnipeg is open for the taking and the boys on both sides are getting their feet in the door,” a police source said. “The firebombings and shootings are likely being done by people that want to prove themselves. It will likely get much worse.”

Mayor Sam Katz said Wednesday he believes police are making headway. He said police have directed resources from the organized crime unit and the street crime unit toward the gang unit to deal with the escalating conflict. He said the key to cracking down on gangs is to be “in their face night and day” and that the additional gang unit resources will pay off.

In fact, police said Wednesday they have arrested about 15 gang members and associates in recent days for a variety of offences, including drug possession and breaches of court orders. Yet, the majority of those are believed to be low-level individuals who aren’t connected to the biker hostilities.

During last fall’s municipal election, Katz committed to hiring 58 additional police officers, including 20 who would be dedicated to the gang unit. He said eight new officers are already in service and another 24 will be working by next spring. In the interim, Katz said redirecting officers from organized crime and street crime to deal with the motorcycle gang problem is a good idea.

“I think taking resources from the street crime unit and having them work with the gang unit is the right thing to do,” he said. “I believe it’s already showing that it’s working and will continue to work.”

 

— with files from Gabrielle Giroday and Jen Skerritt

www.mikeoncrime.com

 

 

Gang war 2011

AFTER weeks of violence, police acknowledged 13 incidents linked to the gang war. However, police haven’t released full details on what transpired during every incident.

June 14: A Logan Avenue automotive business that employs at least three associates of the Hells Angels is firebombed.

June 26: A flare is shot through the window of a Mighton Avenue home where the president of the Redlined Support Crew lives.

June 27: Shots are fired at a rental bungalow on Roy Avenue with links to the Rock Machine.

June 28: Police go to a home on Canberra Road, where a Rock Machine member lives, after shots are heard nearby.

June 29: The Stranmillis Avenue home of the president of the Rock Machine is hit with gunfire and Molotov cocktails.

June 29: A woman finds a loaded, sawed-off shotgun on Kingston Row that may have been used in connection with the ongoing hostilities.

July 4: A 14-year-old is shot after gunfire hits two homes on Taft Crescent. The boy is taken to hospital in stable condition.

July 6: There’s a fire on the 1800 block of Logan Avenue. Police haven’t released further details.

July 10: Offices from the arson strike force and organized crime unit investigate a fire at a home on Royal Avenue.

A used-car dealership on St. Mary’s Road sustains an estimated $200,000 in damage after witnesses see it firebombed.

July 11: Fire strikes on the 1700 block of King Edward Street.

July 12: Attempted firebombing strikes the same home hit June 26, where the Redlined president lives.

July 13: A tattoo parlour on Osborne Street, which once had close ties to a Hells Angels member, is the target of firebombing attempt. There’s minimal damage.

 

— Mike McIntyre, Gabrielle Giroday