Lower Mainland police to meet with B.C. public safety minister over gang conflict

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Top cops from across the Lower Mainland are set to meet with B.C.’s public safety minister this week to lay out their plan to crack down on the latest gang conflict.

This comes after two deadly, very public shootings over the weekend. One of them took place just outside Vancouver International Airport, and forced police to shut down roads into and out of the city of Richmond as they sought the suspect or suspects.

Ahead of his meeting with top police officials, Public Safety Mike Farnworth is defending the actions of police, including during the Sunday shooting at YVR, which saw the suspects getaway.

“I think the police responded very quickly and are working extremely hard on this case,” he said Monday, adding there’s no lack of resources or collaboration. “There’s an extraordinary level of cooperation, whether it’s RCMP forces or municipal forces, and we know that they are working as hard as they can.”

Update: Looks like this meeting will actually take place on Thursday. That's according to a Ministry of Public Safety spokesperson. Yesterday, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said meeting would be today. https://t.co/EFRWQbilGU

— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) May 11, 2021

Farnworth’s comments came after the National Police Federation Mounties called for more police resources to tackle the growing problem. It released a statement Monday to ask the province to give police more staff and funding, noting, “Police services across the Lower Mainland, in particular the RCMP, have been under-resourced for far too long, contributing to this escalating violence.”

There have been 10 shootings on the Lower Mainland over the span of just three weeks.

Top police officials tried to quell public safety concerns on Monday, promising to get things under control. They said agencies across the region have been working together to try and address the ongoing situation, especially amid increasingly public violence.

“I can’t tell you when the gang conflict will stop, but I can tell you and I do know with certainty that if someone remains in the gang lifestyle, it stops in one of two ways: jail or death. It’s as simple as that,” BC RCMP Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said.

Lawyer and former Attorney General Wally Oppal says he understands why people are alarmed and want to see more prosecution. However, he notes it’s tough for these cases to make it into the legal system in the first place.

“These cases are very difficult to investigate for the police, very difficult to prosecute,” he explained. “People who get involved in these types of killings, this type of violence, don’t help the police — they don’t cooperate with the police.”

He adds gangsters typically take matters into their own hands when they’re looking for reparations.

“The bad part is that innocent people can often get hurt,” Oppal said.

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Related articles: 

• RCMP want more resources amid B.C. gang conflict, expert says prevention key

• Youth gang prevention key to stopping Metro Vancouver violence: expert

• YVR gang shooting shows escalating disregard for public safety: expert

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That was the case with a shooting in Burnaby on Saturday, which left a 19-year-old man dead. An “innocent bystander” was hurt in the gunfire, police said, adding he showed up at an area hospital after the shooting took place.

“They’re just shooting at will. Anywhere they find their enemies, they’re going to shoot,” Doug Spencer, who worked with the Vancouver Police Department’s gang unit for nearly two decades, told NEWS 1130 Monday.

“I’ve never seen the recklessness of what they’re doing now. They’re certainly rank amateurs to do a shooting at the airport when there’s more cameras than they can count. It’s just ridiculous,” he explained, adding “they really don’t care.”

Farnworth says the province is working with the federal government to tighten security at the border to intercept illegal weapons.

Experts have said there is a concerning rise in the number of young people joining gang life.

-With files from Lisa Steacy

Editor’s note: While there had been word that officers were meeting with the public safety minister on Tuesday, his office has confirmed that will not happen until later this week.