CPS: "Our worst fear" - innocent bystander shot in the face...

[tvp2003]

Well Calgarians, it has now happened. The guy that was shot in the face last night in downtown by Chinatown was an innocent bystander. Although he's still alive, he will be permenantly blinded. It is suspected that the dispute was over drugs: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...f-1ea3b5598b77

[burn_this_city]

That story made me sick when I read it earlier. Comes to Canada for school, leaves blinded permanently by crackhead douchbags.

[Table 5]

For those people who were puzzled why Calgary had to hire extra cops, this is why. What a horrible story.

[Claeren]

Wow, the end of that article seems to suggest there were 5 shootings in the city in the last 36 hours?

Total social breakdown in the city right now.

No accountability and criminals with no fear of police.


Sick.



Claeren.

[Robbob]

There needs to be a change in the legislation to help the police. I get the impression that the police know who are in the gangs but can't do anything until they are caught (I understand the shooting downtown was drug related and that individual probably wasn't known by police). I think it is getting to the point where more police officers won't help until there is a fundamental change in how we target and deal with gangs.

[Locke]

That is some serious misfortune.

[Barnes]

Well, things are going to get worse as it looks like gangs from outside Alberta want their piece of the boom too. More people will probably get caught up in this while they battle with local sets.

Maybe it's time for another 18 month investigation.

I'm off right now to the train at 8th st and I hope one of the many deals I see go down daily don't go bad.

Hope the guy pulls through. Scary stuff.

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by Robbob

There needs to be a change in the legislation to help the police. I get the impression that the police know who are in the gangs but can't do anything until they are caught (I understand the shooting downtown was drug related and that individual probably wasn't known by police). I think it is getting to the point where more police officers won't help until there is a fundamental change in how we target and deal with gangs.

It's hard to do without imposing on someone's rights as a human. Honestly the best way to deal with gangs is to take away the things that give them funding. The government starts regulating drugs and prostitution and what funds the gangs? Bake sales?

It's not ideal but if the people are going to sit there and bitch about drugs and stuff and push it all underground, prepare to deal with the gang violence that comes with it.

[Bertuzzied]

How unlucky also. I bet if the drug dealers tried on purpose to hit him in the face they would miss.

It was good and all when they were killing each other. This is just sad though.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by Super-Rye

It's hard to do without imposing on someone's rights as a human. Honestly the best way to deal with gangs is to take away the things that give them funding. The government starts regulating drugs and prostitution and what funds the gangs? Bake sales?

It's not ideal but if the people are going to sit there and bitch about drugs and stuff and push it all underground, prepare to deal with the gang violence that comes with it.

I hear ya but these guys are involved with Meth and crack and heroin. You don't really want the government regulating these do you?

[4X4]

Has anyone heard more on that story from the weekend about the guy that got shot out on the west side? The early reports made it abundantly clear that it was not random but that it was not drug or gang related either. I almost wanted to speculate that it was road rage related...

This story here really ticks me off. Someone already beat me to the punch, but I was going to say that for the guy to come from Brazil and get shot here is just... Ironic? Sad? Pathetic?

I hope Bronconnier calls Stelmach and says something like: "OK, now can we have that money, please?"

The last 24 hours has been a little weird for me. I noticed a 'For Rent' sign on the building that the woman got murdered in last week. Then I saw about 8 cop cars outside another building a couple blocks away from my place yesterday afternoon. Then I was down in Parkdale and I saw 5 police cars drive by on a residential street over the course of 3 minutes. No lights, not speeding... Creeping... Like they were looking or watching.

WTF is going on in this city?

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

I hear ya but these guys are involved with Meth and crack and heroin. You don't really want the government regulating these do you?

It'd be a hell of a lot safer than the crap you get on the streets. Like I said it's not ideal but the more you push something underground, the more funding gangs get. I'd honestly say the gang problem is a much worse problem than the government regulating drugs, seeing as they let rat poisons and tar out in cigarettes already it's hardly a step in any direction for them.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Has anyone heard more on that story from the weekend about the guy that got shot out on the west side? The early reports made it abundantly clear that it was not random but that it was not drug or gang related either. I almost wanted to speculate that it was road rage related...

This story here really ticks me off. Someone already beat me to the punch, but I was going to say that for the guy to come from Brazil and get shot here is just... Ironic? Sad? Pathetic?

I hope Bronconnier calls Stelmach and says something like: "OK, now can we have that money, please?"

The last 24 hours has been a little weird for me. I noticed a 'For Rent' sign on the building that the woman got murdered in last week. Then I saw about 8 cop cars outside another building a couple blocks away from my place yesterday afternoon. Then I was down in Parkdale and I saw 5 police cars drive by on a residential street over the course of 3 minutes. No lights, not speeding... Creeping... Like they were looking or watching.

WTF is going on in this city?

I saw all this coming and moved to a small town. Calgary is no longer a safe place to live.

[Robbob]

There was a story a little while ago about a prof talking about trying to use or tweaking the legislation for terrorists and use it on gangs. I'll have to find the story. Something like this where we have to think outside the box because the current system doesn't work. The 18 month investigations are a drop in the bucket to curb gangs and gang violence and cost the tax payers millions of dollars.

[Locke]

Have they commissioned Robocop to clean up the streets yet? When we need Robocop, thats when its so bad that I'm moving to take my rightful place as the King of Switzerland.

One thing I want to express is that we have spoiled for many years living in this city that had a respectably low crime rate, but as the population increases so too will crime.

Now, the type of crime in question is one thing, but I maintain that we have had it easy for a long, long time. This is a natural progression for a city of our size, we just dont like it, and rightly so, but sometimes thems the breaks.

These gangs will always be looking for a way to try and kill each other, because, in the grand scheme of things, thats what gangs do. The CPS can only try and curtail their activities as much as possible and try to keep the uninvolved reasonably safe.

[Barnes]

Two very large, veteran cops at the 8th st station. None of the usual suspects hanging around.

I've been critical in the past and it's nice to see them there.

[flylock shox]

Originally Posted by Super-Rye

It's hard to do without imposing on someone's rights as a human. Honestly the best way to deal with gangs is to take away the things that give them funding. The government starts regulating drugs and prostitution and what funds the gangs? Bake sales?

It's not ideal but if the people are going to sit there and bitch about drugs and stuff and push it all underground, prepare to deal with the gang violence that comes with it.

You might get flamed for this opinion, but you're certainly not out to lunch.

In BC at least, and I would imagine the same applies in Alberta, a huge portion of gang funding comes from marijuana grow ops. Marijuana is much harder to grow, with much stiffer penalties, south of the border. This leads to American gangs (or cross-border gangs) trading hard drugs (cocaine and heroin) as well as guns for Canadian bud. Legalizing and regulating marijuana would go a good way to undercutting the funding of Canadian criminal organizations, and limit the flow (although driving up the value) of drugs like cocaine and heroin in Canada. Those are the drugs we really need to worry about from a social standpoint.

As for meth... well... that would likely become a boom industry if the above were to happen. How that would play out is harder to envision.

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

You might get flamed for this opinion, but you're certainly not out to lunch.

In BC at least, and I would imagine the same applies in Alberta, a huge portion of gang funding comes from marijuana grow ops. Marijuana is much harder to grow, with much stiffer penalties, south of the border. This leads to American gangs (or cross-border gangs) trading hard drugs (cocaine and heroin) as well as guns for Canadian bud. Legalizing and regulating marijuana would go a good way to undercutting the funding of Canadian criminal organizations, and limit the flow (although driving up the value) of drugs like cocaine and heroin in Canada. Those are the drugs we really need to worry about from a social standpoint.

As for meth... well... that would likely become a boom industry if the above were to happen. How that would play out is harder to envision.

Very true.

Honestly in a perfect world the Government regulates these things, gang crime goes down. With the taxation from these drugs the government puts it towards educating people better. The more educated people are the less likely they are to go off and do something like meth or crack.

People are going to go off and do whatever they want anyways when it comes to stuff like this, the best thing to do is try and educate people the best you can and offer a safe and clean product for those who do decide to do it. The war on drugs is not one that can be won, so you go with option b.

[Traditional_Ale]

Very true.

Honestly in a perfect world the Government regulates these things, gang crime goes down. With the taxation from these drugs the government puts it towards educating people better. The more educated people are the less likely they are to go off and do something like meth or crack.

People are going to go off and do whatever they want anyways when it comes to stuff like this, the best thing to do is try and educate people the best you can and offer a safe and clean product for those who do decide to do it. The war on drugs is not one that can be won, so you go with option b.

Sorry, but DuMaurier Taylor-Made Cocaine Cigarettes and Export-A "Meth" just don't do it for me.

Legalize pot, and prostitution. But not hard drugs.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Sorry, but DuMaurier Taylor-Made Cocaine Cigarettes and Export-A "Meth" just don't do it for me.

Legalize pot, and prostitution. But not hard drugs.

Did you know that heroin was first marketed by Bayer as a cough medicine?