Police beef up gang unit during turf war

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/07/2011 (5367 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mayor Sam Katz said police are making headway in a turf war between rival gangs.

Katz said Winnipeg Police Service has 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.

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 a total of eight officers are already in service and another 24 will be working by next spring. In the interim, Katz said re-directing 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 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."