NEWS1130
Gang expert calls shootings 'power struggle'
| Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - It is no longer a question of if, but
when and where the bullets will fly next. That's after the 17th
shooting in the Lower Mainland in under a month, yesterday in
southeast Vancouver.
Julian Sher has studied and written about gangs in books like
'Angels of Death'. From his base in Montreal, he's keeping a close
eye on what's unfolding around Vancouver.
He believes what's playing out on our streets is a classic power
struggle. "What often happens in crime situations is, there's
a period of instability, where dominant gangs have lost a bit
of power and new, young, aggressive gangsters are looking to move
in."
Sher says this region has traditionally been dominated by the
Hells Angels, but they've been weakened by big trials and police
infiltration. He says the United Nations gang was also a serious
local player, until their leader was jailed in the United States.
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