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The Gangs in Regina Saskatchewan
According to the Regina Police, there are six urban gangs operating within the city of Regina . These are the Native Syndicate, Indian Posse, Crips, Saskatchewan Warriors,Redd Alert and ,EastSideKillers. The largest, the Native Syndicate is made up of approximately 200 members, ranging in age from 17 to 35 years. There are approximately 10 to 20 females, and all members are of Aboriginal decent. The next largest is the Indian Posse, which is comprised of approximately 75 males and a few females, exclusively Aboriginal ranging from 17 to 35 years of age. The EastSideKillers Bloods is made up of approximately 50-100 members, including about a dozen females and Males , with an age range of 12 to 17 years, and are also all of Aboriginal First Nation and Metis decent. The EastSideKillers most often known as (ESK) is a Youth street gang Located in the Eastside of Regina, Balgonie, White City. Facing their rival the dw40 Crips and the Indian Mafia Crips, fighting over territory and recognition.
There is an additional street gang that appears sporadically in Regina called the Crazy Dragons. This group is linked to Asian organized crime groups although the membership is predominately Caucasian. When active in the city, this gang uses violence and intimidation in attempts to gain an exclusive market for the street level distribution of drugs. Through intelligence and targeted efforts, Regina police have been able to prevent this gang from establishing itself in the community.
The largest concentration of urban gangs is within low socioeconomic/high unemployment areas of the city which are predominately Aboriginal neighbourhoods. Drug trafficking and the violence surrounding control of territory seems to be ongoing. Intimidation of victims and witnesses has become a serious problem. In the last two years, police have investigated one gang-related homicide and several gang-related attempted murders involving firearms as well as several drive-by shootings. These incidents were thought to be related to drug activities. Police have also seized body armour on several occasions in the past two years.
Despite the disputes over territory, certain gangs have been known to cooperate on short-term joint criminal ventures such as drug trafficking. There appears to be no relationship between the urban gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs, but there is evidence to suggest that some of the urban gangs have links to Asian organized crime groups and other organized crime groups, particularly in terms of drug supplies.
As in other Canadian cities, the Regina urban gangs seem to have found financial gain in criminal activity and power in numbers, which supports intimidation and violence. The offences committed by gang members range from property offences, to drug trafficking, to assaults with weapons and homicide. It is estimated that approximately 60% of the members carry some type of weapon (knives, brass knuckles). Although the majority of urban gang members do not carry firearms in their day to day lives, there have been some incidents where individuals who appear to have a gang affiliation have been found in possession of firearms. In Saskatchewan sawed-off shot guns and rifles are the firearms of choice. These firearms are readily available and are very difficult to trace as the majority are unregistered. However, there is some evidence to indicate that Regina urban gangs also have access to handguns.
Urban gang issues in Regina began to surface in 1996. Since 1998, the Regina Police Service has targeted gang leaders, a project that has resulted in multiple convictions and incarcerations. This ongoing process is thought to have contributed to the inability of any one gang maintaining predominance within the city.
In addition to their work within a dedicated Gang Unit and resources provided through the Cultural Relations Units and School Resource officers, the Regina Police service in partnership with community agencies, Saskatchewan Corrections and Public Safety and Saskatchewan Learning, are developing an initiative aimed at gang prevention/intervention in Regina′s inner city. The primary goal is to educate the public to help prevent the development of gang connections; encourage vulnerable youth to access appropriate services and to support safety and exit strategies. The initiative is in two phases: Phase one involves a review of gang-related publications and focus groups with service providers, school teachers and administrators, youth who are gang members and those who are at risk of gang membership, and families/caregivers. The information gathered will be used in the production of two videos with the purpose of sharing the findings with the wider community. Phase two involves designing, developing and disseminating a comprehensive education and communications package tailored to each target population.
Support materials will be presented to youth in grades four to six through the school system and supplementary materials will be offered to parents and professionals. Phase one is scheduled for completion in October 2006 and phase two is scheduled for completion in March 2007. It is expected that the comprehensive assessment of the specific needs and recommendations of the community and the youth involved in street gangs will aid in implementation of the appropriate strategies that will be most beneficial.