Williams Lake RCMP are breathing a temporary sigh of relief after arresting men they believe are responsible for some of the recent gang shootings, vehicle thefts and break and enters occurring in the lakecity.
Williams Lake RCMP Insp. Milo MacDonald said two prolific offenders are back in jail and two more are in police crosshairs following weeks of intense, targeted police investigations toward known individuals, who were picked up last week on unrelated charges.
The accused are currently in Prince George Regional Corrections Centre facing various charges including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, uttering threats, breach of probation and failing to comply with the conditions of an undertaking.
So far, police have been unable to connect anyone formally with the more serious charges relating to the Jan. 2 shooting on Mackenie Avenue which left two men wounded, one critically, and the shooting in Wildwood Jan. 20, where a home with children inside was shot at several times. MacDonald admits finding witnesses willing to name suspects in the on-going gang violence has been a stumbling block in the investigations, however, RCMP have seemed to find another way to get the suspects off the streets.
“If we can keep a few of these top-end guys in jail, I know it will significantly reduce the risk to public safety,” said MacDonald, who was planning to give the same message to concerned members of the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce at its monthly luncheon Thursday.
“I want to remind people that this is a very, very small group of individuals who have not only been terrorizing Williams Lake but also Anaham and Soda Creek. They are not representative of these communities and when they are off the streets, everyone is much safer.”
Residents and business owners have been on edge since gang violence erupted on the streets two days into the new year on the one-year anniversary of the murder of Jesse Delmer Frank. The weeks following have seen vehicle thefts increase from one a month to sometimes two per 12-hour police shift, MacDonald said.
A turf war between drug dealers is believed to be at the heart of the crime.
“This is a dispute between two rival gangs selling cocaine,” MacDonald said.
Tsilhqot’in National Government Chief Joe Alphonse, whose own community has strong ties to one of the gangs, agrees that if police take care of the drug dealers, they will take care of much of the crime.
“But it’s going to take all of us to make that happen,” Alphonse said Wednesday. “There just seems to be a never-ending supply of drugs.”
While Alphonse’s community and many others like it in the area continue to struggle with extreme poverty and often overwhelming challenges in housing, health and education, Alphonse is calling his own people to action by volunteering and becoming a positive influence with aboriginal youth.
“We have 120 people working for us. How many of those give back to the communities they represent? That needs to change,” Alphonse said, emphasizing he wants to see First Nations communities hosting soccer, baseball and hockey tournaments, for example.
“Maybe some of these guys we can’t turn around, but there are all the eight and 10 year olds out there who we can reach before it’s too late ... we can drown out (gang violence) through our culture and recreation. Give them pride, give them community.”
Alphonse said leaders from many of the area’s First Nations have met to discuss the recent gang problems and are working together against it.
“As long as we keep talking and standing beside each other as leaders and set an example, then we are doing the right thing.”
He is also hoping the local police will work closely with First Nations leaders when dealing with prolific offenders.
“These offenders know the system and they know how to get around it. If we are working together maybe there will be more accountability”
MacDonald seems to have taken that message to heart and just this week arranged to have an officer, area chief and community elder meet with an offender scheduled to be released from jail to welcome them back, and also set out expectations for the individual upon returning to the community.