Winnipeg police meet with West End families to stop gang recruitment

Winnipeg police officers met with families Tuesday night to work on strategies to prevent youth in the West End from joining gangs.

Officers are concerned about the spike in gang activity in the summer months, and they're focussing their attention on siblings of gang members and new Canadians, who are often targeted for recruitment.

Winnipeg police, the Bear Clan Patrol, the Lighthouses Program and Crime Stoppers all met with families to discuss strategies to avoid gang involvement.

"The people in the communities are the ones with the solutions. They have the answers, and it's just networking here tonight, working together to achieve that goal," said Insp. Max Waddell of the Winnipeg Police Service.

"A lot of it tonight is to talk to parents so they can be armed with the right tools. A lot of times this is involving kids that are six, seven and eight years of age. They don't know any better other than to see their older siblings in a lifestyle they aren't sure about."

The aim is to give kids other options, Waddell said.

"We want the public to trust us," he said. "When the public trusts us, we can be a great partner together and achieve that common goal of trying to stop gang activity.

"They don't need to feel like they are in isolation. I want them to contact us, and we can hopefully help them as they move forward with their challenges."

Mitch Bourbonniere of the Bear Clan said the patrol's members are frequently asked for help.

"We point people in the right direction when we meet them on the street. We give them the information, and we link them to the proper resources," said Bourbonniere. "I think people feel comfortable going to their peers, so if the people of this community end up patrolling this community, people will feel safe to approach them."