Vancouver police don’t expect gang conflict to subside, say it might escalate

Investigators believe the men may be targeted in the coming days, weeks or months, he said.

“These six individuals pose a risk to the people around them because it’s highly likely that a rival gangster will try to target them with extreme violence,” he said.

“And we know these violent acts are happening brazenly in public places, in broad daylight in crowded areas.”

In the last month, deadly shootings have happened outside restaurants, in shopping centre parking lots, on busy streets and in front of the departure terminal at Vancouver’s airport.

On Thursday, a man was killed and two others were hurt in a shooting in the parking lot of a shopping area in Burnaby.

Police said the victim, Jaskeert Kalkat, 23, and a man and a woman with him were all targets in the shooting.

Police identified 28-year-old Karman Grewal as the victim in the airport shooting. He was one of five men named by the RCMP as potential targets of shots-fired incidents in a 2017 news release.

Palmer said to expect more photos because police have “huge concerns in Vancouver” about “these local gangsters.”

Police have gone through a legal framework in not just obtaining but also releasing their photographs, he said.

“In the case of public safety warnings, like a duty to warn the public, somebody doesn’t necessarily have to be convicted of a crime,” Palmer said.

Deputy Chief Const. Fiona Wilson announced Task Force Threshold, a new initiative launched Thursday, to address the surge in gang violence that brings together various groups including BC Corrections, Canada Border Services Agency, Crown prosecutors and local bars and restaurants.

The task force had a significant success on the day it was launched where it “disrupted planning for a gang-related shooting in South Vancouver,” Wilson said.

Lisa Byrne, superintendent of investigative services, said police identified a stolen car “connected to gang activity in Vancouver.”

Police have observed a common theme with the latest gang conflict where people are “flying in” from other jurisdictions to Vancouver to commit crimes, which makes it difficult to identify them, she said.

Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord said in a statement his department launched a new team with a “high-profile presence” to intercept potential gang-related activity in public places including popular restaurants.

“Unfortunately it is estimated that 50 per cent of today’s gang members are in their teens,” Dubord said.

“And contrary to what some might think, it’s not poverty that has driven them to crime. These youths typically come from a middle-class background but may suffer from other forms of trauma.”

Palmer said law enforcement will use an “aggressive” and “holistic” approach in pursuing gang suspects.

“In addition to coming out to them with criminal charges, we’re going to come out to them in every way possible through federal statutes and provincial statutes,” he said.

“We’re also going to make it uncomfortable for them when they’re just out driving around or hanging out in locations in Vancouver and regionally. And we’re just going to make it very difficult for people who cause extreme violence or could be victims of extreme violence in our communities.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2021.

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Vancouver police don’t expect gang conflict to subside, say it might escalate

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