In this situation the governments, federal and provincial, are right to focus on increased sentences and more police. Gang members, while perhaps specially focussed on respect and anti-social socialization, are quite rational and will respond to traditional criminal law methods. And gosh, those methods are needed -- too many innocent bystanders are being killed! (well, one is too many)
Another brazen shooting in Canada's gang capital
WENDY STUECK AND KATIE HYSLOP
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
VANCOUVER — Another shooting rocked Vancouver on Tuesday, leaving one man dead and adding to a grim tally that includes a young mother gunned down Monday as she drove with her four-year-old son in the back seat.
The violence comes in the wake of a provincial announcement that steered more money and resources to gang-fighting efforts, and as the federal Minister of Public Safety dubbed Metro Vancouver the national capital of gang activity.
“That's based on the fact that Vancouver has not just the highest number of gangs of any area in the country, but the largest concentration of very sophisticated organized criminals,” said Peter Van Loan, who flew to Vancouver on Tuesday to meet with mayors, police and crime victims, including family members of bystanders killed in gang shootouts.
The recent rash of violence highlights the need for revamped laws that could help stem gang violence, such as a provision that gang-related murders would automatically result in first-degree murder charges, Mr. Van Loan said.
Ottawa has already introduced some changes, such as mandatory minimum sentences for gun offences, but wants to carry through on other commitments including mandatory sentences for drug crimes, Mr. Van Loan said.
2 comments:
Oh yeah... those "mandatory minimums" are really helping. Most of these youth have no idea how the courts operate, much less what they can be sentenced. Tougher sentences aren't a deterrent - one only needs to look South of the border. They just end up costing us billions more in jail costs. If anything, tougher sentences make "smart" criminals want to stay out of prison more - meaning killing innocents, if they have to, in order to stay out of the clink.
The petty criminals are another story. I have two close friends who are corrections workers and youth counselors at Saskatchewan prisons. They are pretty clear with me that most of the youth criminals actually COMMIT crimes to go to prison before the cold winter months. There, these young criminals learn to be better criminals from their gang buddies, uncles, and cousins.
To fix the problems with youth crime, gangs, etc., we need to solve the problems that result in this behavior, and not rely on punishment for the "end product"...
There is no evidence that the prospect of death or prison deters the gang members in anyway. Indeed, as many gang members live in the same location and are from similar ethnic backgrounds, getting "tough on crime" only serves to make things worse by helping foster gang culture in these communities. Legalize marijuana. Money from the illegal drug trade is life blood of gang cultural.
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