Winnipeg police reach out to families at gang prevention event

Mothers, fathers and younger siblings were the focus of a gang prevention event put on by the Winnipeg police Tuesday evening.

• Winnipeg police meet with West End families to stop gang recruitment

It was held at the North Centennial Community Centre in Winnipeg.

Insp. Max Waddell said about 400 invitations were distributed in the community, inviting the family of known and suspected gang members in Winnipeg. Social service agencies, Crimestoppers and Winnipeg police were on site to speak with attendees.

Waddell, who heads the Winnipeg Police Service's organized crime unit, said there are approximately 30 to 35 gangs active in Winnipeg.

One of the the ways police aretrying to stay "ahead of the curve," he said, is to put parents on alert for gang involvement and speak with brothers and sisters before they are possibly tempted to join organized crime.

• Police take aim at gang recruitment, reach out to communities

"What we're trying to do is to educate parents on the dangers associated with joining gangs and to try to reach out to the younger siblings to give them an alternative to a gang lifestyle," saidWaddell.

"Show them there really is hope in going to school, with after-school programming, employment and those sorts of things."

Possible signs to of gang involvement to watch for, include: a change in attitude, getting new tattoos and increasing interest in money, saidWaddell.

"Once kids join gangs it's more difficult to get them out than it is to reach out to the younger siblings," he said.

"That's why we're here tonight -- to show them different avenues and access points."