Controlling Street Gang Activity in Canada: Key Strategies

Overview of Gang Control Programs in Canada

The number of street gangs in Canada has grown considerably. These gangs pose a threat to life as well as property in urban and suburban areas. The primary strategy adopted in Canada is the use of policing force to suppress the activities of street gangs. This paper discusses the policing strategy commonly used in Canada as well as other preventative and rehabilitative strategies used to control the rise of street gang activity in Canada.

A number of programs to prevent and suppress street gang activity have been implemented in Canada. Some of these have been developed within Canada, while others are based on similar programs in the United States and have been adapted to the Canadian context. These programs have been successful in varying degrees and provide useful lessons for improvement. In Canada, the primary vehicle for controlling street gang activity is through law enforcement agencies. These agencies are primarily used for the suppression of street gang activity (Lafontaine, Ferguson, & Wormith, 2005). In most large Canadian cities, street crime units have been set up to monitor and control the activities of street gangs. What further complicates the gang problem in Canada is that, compared to the United States, there are fewer corrective and rehabilitative programs offered to gang members in federal institutions. Lafontaine, Ferguson, and Wormith (2005) are also of the opinion that most programs in Canada are based on reactive strategies and policies, which is a major reason for the increasing gang problem. Hence, there is a need to increase efforts toward developing community-oriented programs for street gang prevention and rehabilitation.

In a few cases, however, law enforcement agencies have worked efficiently at reducing street gang-related activity — particularly where programs incorporated elements of rehabilitation and correction. Linden (2010) identifies one such program implemented to control auto theft in Winnipeg, a city with the highest rate of auto theft in North America. The Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy (WATSS) involves collaboration between the police department and probationary services. Through the program, crime factors were identified, the most at-risk youth were targeted, and preventive measures such as vehicle immobilizers were deployed. Youth programming was also incorporated to deter involvement in auto theft. Checks are routinely conducted to monitor the activities of youth on probation, and participants are closely supervised to prevent further criminal activity. The program was successful, as rates of auto theft dropped considerably during 2007–2009. Inspired by this success, a broader initiative called the Gang Response and Suppression Program was subsequently developed (Linden, 2010).

Linden (2010) also argues that an approach involving cooperation among multiple agencies — aimed at prevention and rehabilitation as well as suppression — would be successful in the Canadian context. MacQueen (2009) similarly reports that street gang activity in provinces such as Quebec and Manitoba has increased exponentially over the past decade. He criticizes the almost exclusive dependence of Canadian agencies on law enforcement to suppress gang activity, as opposed to investing in rehabilitation and prevention. He also cites the excessive demands that such a strategy places on the resources of Canadian law enforcement agencies, noting that even the few successes of this approach prove inefficient in resource use. Furthermore, he criticizes law enforcement agencies for effectively softening their response to street gang crime in the face of spiraling numbers of gang-related offences and limited resources to apprehend offenders.

In light of the above, the success of any effort to control street gang activity in Canada cannot be achieved through suppression by law enforcement alone. It requires a multi-pronged strategy in which the root causes of street gang activity are identified and addressed at various levels, involving the cooperation, resources, and efforts of diverse community sectors.

The Role of the Community

The role of the community in controlling the rise of gang activity in Canada is paramount. For any serious social problem, a coordinated effort involving the contribution of all stakeholders is essential — no single segment of society can effectively solve the problem alone. The community therefore has an important role to play in addressing certain aspects of the problem and in providing support to other segments, such as law enforcement agencies, in performing their own functions.

In understanding the community's role, it is important to identify the various community members involved and their contributions. Beyond law enforcement, schools play a significant part. Schoolchildren are frequent targets for gang recruitment, and through education and awareness programs, school administrations can equip students with the knowledge to avoid involvement with gangs or gang activities. Schools can teach students how to respond when approached by a gang member, and appropriate behaviours can be modeled so that students neither antagonize gang members nor become drawn into gang activity.

School administrations can also monitor the student population for signs of gang affiliation — such as behavioural problems, disciplinary issues, conflict with teachers or peers, truancy, and declining academic performance — and arrange counseling for at-risk students. Different strategies may be applied for peripheral members or facilitators than for more active gang members. Schools can also help prevent conditions that increase gang membership by fostering inclusion of diverse students regardless of academic performance, race, language, religion, or ethnicity.

One successful Canadian example is the Winnipeg Gang Coalition for Healthy Communities. Under this program, school administrations are trained in strategies for reducing school violence; teachers attend awareness programs to help them identify likely cases of gang activity among students and provide appropriate support; and parents participate in awareness programs to help them address gang-related problems at home and in the community (Lafontaine, Ferguson, & Wormith, 2005). These programs are hosted by the Winnipeg Police Force and illustrate how various segments of the community can come together to effectively tackle street gang activity.

Other community members also play important roles. Health institutions can contribute to the rehabilitation of peripheral and active gang members, while social organizations can equip former gang members with the economic and social skills needed to become productive members of society. An example is The Circle of Life Thunderbird House in Winnipeg (Lafontaine, Ferguson, & Wormith, 2005), which functions as a safe house where individuals wishing to leave a gang can seek shelter, emotional support, and rehabilitative assistance, while being protected from retaliation by former associates. Wong et al. (2012) similarly conclude that a coordinated community effort is essential for addressing street gang growth in Canada, even while acknowledging that many existing community programs require improvement.

Conclusion

The current emphasis on policing strategies has failed to substantially reduce street gang activity in Canada. There is a need to develop preventative control through awareness programs in the affected communities. In addition, community efforts need to be accelerated to create opportunities for the rehabilitation of former gang members and to provide them with social and economic opportunities for advancement within mainstream society. Federal resources need to be increased and directed at expanding the capacities of policing agencies as well as social and health institutions across Canada.

References

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Department of Justice. (2012). Criminal Code. Retrieved October 20, 2012, from

Jones, D., Roper, V., Stys, Y., & Wilson, C. (2004). Street gangs: A review of theory, interventions, and implications for corrections. Retrieved October 20, 2012, from http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r161/r161-eng.shtml#51.

Lafontaine, T., Ferguson, M., & Wormith, J. S. (2005). Street gangs: A review of the empirical literature on community and corrections-based prevention, intervention and suppression strategies. Retrieved October 20, 2012, from http://www.publications.gov.sk.ca/details.cfm?p=11572.

Linden, R. (2010). Comprehensive approaches to address street gangs in Canada. Retrieved October 20, 2012, from agrs.justice.alberta.ca/uploads/1102/ps-sp-comprehensivea72905.PDF.

MacQueen, K. (2009). How to fight the gangs. Retrieved October 20, 2012, from http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/03/12/how-to-fight-the-gangs/.

Wong, J., Gravel, J., Bouchard, M., Morselli, C., & Descormiers, K. (2012). Effectiveness of street gang control strategies: A systematic review and meta-analysis of evaluation studies. Retrieved October 20, 2012, from http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/412562/publication.html.