Hells Angels set up shop in Brandon: top cop

BRANDON — The Hells Angels motorcycle gang has established a chapter in Brandon, the city’s police chief confirmed Thursday.

“There’s a fairly new chapter of Hells Angels in the city,” Tyler Bates told the Brandon Sun. “There are certainly several organized crime groups.”

A source informed the Sun this week about large gatherings of Hells Angels wearing their colours on the North Hill in Brandon.

Bates said police are aware of the motorcycle gang’s presence and are monitoring it, along with several other organized crime groups that may not be visible or stand out.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said he is aware of the gang’s presence in Brandon and has spoken with Bates.

“It’s obviously something they are monitoring very closely and keeping a close eye on when it comes to the role the province can play,” Wiebe said Thursday.

He said the province is focused on organized crime in general, including what gangs are active in various areas of the province.

“Organized crime is active,” he said. “We’re trying to address organized crime at every level, and certainly understanding what the dynamics are on the ground, listening to Brandon Police Service and others, helps us understand what the situation is in various communities across the province.”

Wiebe said the province will work with local law enforcement and give them the support they need.

The Hells Angels is an international outlaw motorcycle club that has established chapters around the country, including in Winnipeg.

In 2014, Manitoba became the first jurisdiction in North America to declare the Hells Angels a criminal organization. The province said the designation would allow the Crown to prosecute gang members and associates without the delay of calling additional evidence that the outlaw biker club is a criminal organization.

The Brandon Sun reported at the time that Hells Angels rules require chapters to have a minimum of six members on the street without any court-imposed conditions.

The club is incorporated in Canada and the United States as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp., according to Wikipedia, which describes it as the largest outlaw biker club in the world, with more than 6,000 members and 592 charters in 66 countries.

— Brandon Sun