THUNDER BAY – When motorcycle clubs sat atop Thunder Bay’s gang hierarchy, there were unwritten codes of conduct in place.
But when they were swept aside those rules flew out the window.
Sensing a lucrative market prone to drug addiction, various gangs from across the country began filtering their way into the city, taking a brazen, and often violent, approach to conducting their criminal enterprises, mirroring in many ways the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels or the lawlessness of the Grand Theft Auto culture.
It really shouldn’t be that surprising, said Police Chief J.P. Levesque on Friday.
“With that ability to make money, they’re bringing the violence as well,” Levesque said.
That violence reared its ugly head earlier this month in Thunder Bay, when a 17-year-old boy was abducted from a Tupper Street residence, held for two days and brutally beaten.
The outcome could have been much worse had police not spotted the youngster being removed from a pick-up truck on Pruden Street.
They were able to rescue the teen, which led to three quick arrests, including two men from Ottawa and one from Thunder Bay.
A fourth man, initially arrested on Aug. 15, when a .357 magnum handgun and ammunition was seized during a search of a Donald Street residence, was later charged with kidnapping, assault, uttering threats, assault with a weapon and non-compliance with a probation order.
Unfortunately, Levesque said of the growing gang problem, taking four people off the streets is just a drop in the bucket.
“We’re not going to arrest our way out of this,” a concerned Levesque said on Friday, worried that his officers are encountering more guns on the street, where once they were a rarity.
“But we’re going to stay on top of it.”
Thunder Bay, with its lengthy history of drug abuse, is ripe for the gang pickings, Levesque said. They’ve been aware of the so-called Ottawa crew for a couple of years.
Last year the swept a group of criminal entrepreneurs from British Columbia off the streets. Budding gang-bangers from Quebec and Toronto have also made inroads into the Thunder Bay.
There’s no doubt it’s a disturbing trend, Levesque said.
“The influx seems to be getting a little bit greater,” he said. “And the propensity of violence has ramped up as well. It’s disturbing, it’s something that we have to be very vigilant and stay on top off,” he said, praising his officers for being able to rescue the 17-year-old as quickly as they did.
Levesque is worried it might get worse, especially if rival gangs start turf wars.
“Our concern is not only for our officers, but certainly the safety of the general public as well,” he said.
It’s also a costly endeavour, Levesque added.
“When we see this kind of thing, it’s a lot of hard work, a lot of hours are put into this. Our tactical unit was involved. So it also gets very expensive. But I don’t want people to think for a minute that we’re going to say we just can’t afford to do this, because you can’t not afford to do this.”
