Canadian Police Chief Magazine/La Revue des chefs de police du Canada - Winter/Hiver 2008 - (Page 18)

continued from page 17 These events are serious, but it would be troubling to let high proﬁle instances rush us into quick ﬁx ‘action’. We should take a step back and consider what a comprehensive, integrated and sustainable approach to street gangs in Canada would look like. Last October, over 450 delegates from across the country and from abroad came together in Montréal to do just that. The International Congress on Street Gangs was held by the CACP and co-hosted by the Montréal Police Service and the Toronto Police Service. It included police executives, front-line ofﬁcers who work in gang units, federal, provincial and municipal government ofﬁcials, researchers, and members of community organizations from across the country. Representatives from the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom and El Salvador also shared their experiences in dealing with street gangs. The message was loud and clear. The phenomenon of street gangs in Canada is complex and it does not lend itself to a simple solution. Effective legal and policing responses are a necessary part of any solution. But it is clearly not just a matter of ‘more’ or ‘better’ policing and enforcement alone. In the words of congress co- Eugene Williams, Interim Chief, Organized Crime Division, Chicago Police Department. Eugene Williams, chef par intérim, division du crime organisé, Service de police de Chicago. chair Chief Bill Blair, “We can’t arrest our way out of this problem.” So, where do we go from here? The congress highlighted a variety of promising strategies and programs that have been developed and implemented by various governments, police services, criminal justice agencies and community partners across the country. These activities range from the mobilization of community partners to the prevention of gang recruitment, exit strategies for those involved in gangs, intelligence-gathering and investigation, successful prosecution and offender re-integration. The challenge lies in determining the impacts of such efforts, and how they may ﬁt into a more comprehensive and well thought out framework for action in the years to come. It is really a matter of maximizing the returns on our investments of time and energy. We must avoid relying on ineffective approaches or worse yet, jumping into strategies and tactics that may in fact exacerbate the problem in the long run. In order to have an impact on the phenomenon of street gangs, we must come to grips with where we stand, where the gaps are in our responses, and what the most promising options for moving forward may be. This requires a deeper probe Deputy Director, General Steven Chabot, Sûreté du Québec and President, CACP. Le DG adjoint de la Sûreté du Québec, Steven Chabot, président de l’ACCP. into (1) the nature of the problem, (2) the knowledge, skills and resources we need to address the problem in a comprehensive, effective and ethical manner, and (3) our willingness and commitment to change the way we currently work. UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM To understand the complex nature of street gangs, it can be useful to borrow from basic economic terminology. This leads us to think about the dynamics surrounding street gangs in terms of the ‘demand’ for gangs and for the products and services they provide (i.e., drugs, prostitution, protection), and the global ‘market’ context in which street gangs operate. It also leads us to think about the factors that generate a ‘supply’ of gang members.5 Most see gangs as a serious problem, but it is not that difﬁcult to imagine why some youth see gangs as a solution to their concerns. Youth who are the most at risk of gang involvement tend to be those who suffer from the greatest levels of individual risk and from both social and economic inequality and disadvantage. Many of these youths are marginalized and already involved in some form of delinquency. Some have been exposed to violence since childhood, and some are struggling with mental health and substance abuse problems. Their motivation for joining a street gang can range from seeking excitement and money to looking 18 WINTER/HIVER 2008

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Canadian Police Chief Magazine/La Revue des chefs de police du Canada - Winter/Hiver 2008 Contents Message from the President Message du président Travelling Child Sexual Offenders – Is the Canadian Policing Community Prepared? Touristes pédophiles – Les policiers canadiens sont-ils prêts? By/par Michael Serapiglia The Challenge of Street Gangs in Canada: Imagining a Comprehensive Response Imaginer une réponse complète au problème des gangs de rue CACP Private Sector Liaison Committee: Working to Share Information and Best Practices Comité de liaison avec le secteur privé de l’ACCP : À l’oeuvre pour échanger les informations et les pratiques exemplaires CACP Professional Standards Subcommittee: Contributing to the Professionalism of Policing Le Sous-comité des normes professionnelles de l’ACCP : pour plus de professionnalisme dans les forces policières Canadian Police Earn International Recognition for Innovation La police canadienne, reconnue internationalement pour ses innovations Nomination Deadlines for 2008 CACP Awards Dates limites des mises en candidature aux prix 2008 de l’ACCP Buyers’ Guide Guide de l’acheteur Calendar of Events Calendrier des événements Index to Advertisers Index des annonceurs

Canadian Police Chief Magazine/La Revue des chefs de police du Canada - Winter/Hiver 2008

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