An Interesting Statistic

[HelloHockeyFans]

Of late, more often than not, whenever you hear about gang violence in Calgary and Vancouver, it involves Asian gangs.

But according to a Canadian Police survey on youth gangs, the percentage is as follows:

"The largest percentage of gang members are African Canadian (25 per cent), First Nations (21 per cent) and Caucasians (18 per cent). "

To be honest, was kind of surprised by this statistic because as mentioned, it's the "Asian Gangs" that seem to be reported the most.

Is this a case of the other gangs simply not being as violent with shootings, etc.? Or seeing as this was a survey, Asians simply don't go around admitting to being a gang member?



http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...2960ed523c&p=1

[Bill Bumface]

I think it's a different story in Calgary. I'd guess 1. Caucasians 2. Asians here. I think in Toronto and Montreal Jamaican gangs are a huge problem, something we don't really have here. Winnipeg has some huge native gangs I believe.

[guzzy]

another thing they are not reporting is what types of gangs they are in. I can guarantee you that the native gangs are nothing but a group of thugs who go around and start trouble. They are only violent offenders compared to that of asian gangs. The reason you hear about the asian gangs is the nature of their business....organized crime. How often do you hear native gangs and organized crime in the same sentence.

That is the whole problem in Calgary is that the asian gangs have very elaborate businesses (if you want to call it that) hence the organized crime tag.

[flaming_potato]

It definitely depends on what city you live in, here in Winnipeg as hulkrogan suggested, the majority of gangs are natives, mostly due in to the large native population here.

[Locke]

It is an interesting statistic.

Made all the more interesting by asking the question: What kind of gang fills out gang-related surveys?

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Locke

It is an interesting statistic.

Made all the more interesting by asking the question: What kind of gang fills out gang-related surveys?

Apparently not the Asian ones.

I'm not too shocked that Asians don't make the cut across Canada. Perhaps I'm wrong but Calgary and Vancouver seem to be more preferred locations to be in as opposed to a place like Saskatoon. Maybe I'm just generalizing, but that's how it seems to me.

[BlackEleven]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I think it's a different story in Calgary. I'd guess 1. Caucasians 2. Asians here. I think in Toronto and Montreal Jamaican gangs are a huge problem, something we don't really have here. Winnipeg has some huge native gangs I believe.

Except Jamaica isn't in Africa!

Not disputing you, just pointing out how stupid it is to use a geographical basis to describe a person's skin colour. I, like you, assume that an African Canadian isn't someone who emigrated to Canada from Africa.

As for Jamacians gangs, I think they're more of a Toronto than Montreal thing. Most gangs here seem to be Haitian rather than Jamician. I assume they're most likely to imigrate to Montreal because they can already speak French (well their version of it).

[Barnes]

I don't get the stats. 25+21+18=64%

So that leaves 36% remaining.

We have native, honky, and African Canadian (black) taken care of and the remainder will be Asian?

These stats make no sense.

[Thor]

Was I the only one who cringed at the term African Canadian?

My experience with Asian gangs is they are much smaller, very closely tied to serious organized crime and thus are in much smaller less noticeable numbers.

[simonsays]

Well I don't know the survey method, so it's already a little skewed to me. One would have to imaging that gangs are territorial, so they probably recruit locally. So if we're going by race, we'd probably have to look at which ethnicities are largely in the lower income demographics by urban area.

I can faux over that with generalizations: simply look of logical points of entry to our country. I know that nowadays people can fly anywhere at any time, but if I were an immigrant with an uncertain future in a new country I'd probably pick the area that had an established community of people from my country/linguistic group/area. So the asians tend to come to BC and move east, while Africans tend to arrive in the east and move west. And when you think that the major population spots (except the NW division trifeca) are all east of Winnepeg it would make sense that the major gangs would represent the ethnicities of the immigrant populace.

And this isn't to say that immigrants are gansgters, but rather that they often find themselves in the lower classes of income because a)they don't have the contacts b)they don't realize how much our government will do to train + assist us c)don't have the established capital that some here come from.

And lets not forget that Canada's preemminent white gang, the Hells Angels, are getting hammered by the police these days. They still seem to be nimble, but they're maybe too established to survive.

[HelloHockeyFans]

The biggest surprise for me in the story is that Caucasians have a greater percentage of gang involvement than Asians simply because of the coverage on Asian gangs from Vancouver to Calgary to even Toronto.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by HelloHockeyFans

The biggest surprise for me in the story is that Caucasians have a greater percentage of gang involvement than Asians simply because of the coverage on Asian gangs from Vancouver to Calgary to even Toronto.

Two words: Hells Angels.

[Superflyer]

First how do they come up with these numbers, send out a questionare?
1. What is your race?
2. Are you a member of a gang?
If you answered yes to question 2 please stay where you are, a police office will be by soon to talk to you.

Also where are the Italians? I watch the sopranos so I know they are a large group, or is the "Mafia" not a gang?

[Barnes]

The mafia is white with the exception of Sammy Davis Jr and Samuel L Jackson in Goodfellas.

[foofighter15]

I am not getting involved in this topic purely to keep from saying I shouldn't! Locke I suggest you follow my example.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by foofighter15

I am not getting involved in this topic purely to keep from saying I shouldn't! Locke I suggest you follow my example.

No can do. I was accosted by a 'gang' just last night.

You want to talk honkies? I was approached by the fearsome Lake Bonavista 13 year olds gang as I was exiting Bonavista Liquor at the mall. They wanted me to buy them some booze.

Now first of all, this is the single least intimidating 'gang' of all time. Or at least since 'The Warriors.' They're skinny white kids that will fall over in a slight breeze, and they arent exactly hardened criminals or anything. Its Bonavista.

I briefly contemplated orchestrating a deal and then just taking off when they gave me the money, the beauty of that being, as an adult, I have this wonderful thing called, wait for it, a car. I dont care how many miles a day you log on your bike, the second I hit Anderson you're done.

I didnt do this because I mild and annoying pain in my stomach. I think some people call it a conscience? Well it sucks.

Anyways, when I refused they started swearing at me. Of course, how many articulate swears does the average 13 year old know? Not many.

So, in conclusion, I have decided that to fill in the statistical gaps in this survey, the difference must be white kids from Bonavista. They are the missing gang.