Gang Sweep?

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by flaming_potato

"Police retrieved 10 firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, many butterfly knives, a Taser, two bullet-proof vests, night-vision equipment, brass knuckles, brass knuckles and pepper spray."

Seriously no one else took the bait on this... ok...

I wonder if they managed to confiscate their Miatas?

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

I know what you are saying, and I agree with you, but I think that when people clamour for more cops, they usually intend for the cops to deter crime. Which, if it works, is ideal, because there would be less crime.

Seasoned criminals probably know the justice system better than I do. Is it much of a deterrence if they know that they'll be in and out of custody in a matter of days every time they are charged?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

Seriously no one else took the bait on this... ok...

I wonder if they managed to confiscate their Miatas?

They were probably too busy carting away all those wine coolers.

[flaming_potato]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

Seriously no one else took the bait on this... ok...

I wonder if they managed to confiscate their Miatas?

was waiting for that!

Lets us not forget the lululemon and frosted tips! Speaking of which...a little off topic but a while back my band was supposed to play a show with another band in Edmonton called "The Frosted Tipz"....go figure the show fell through but what a horrible name!

[BBQorMILDEW]

I actually was good friends with Justin Rossbach growing up, same with a couple more of them Mitch and Mike Lasby they were all pretty much loser in high school who started hanging out with the wrong people. It's crazy because I used to run a little with them when i was younger, I saw someone get shot and i said "to hell with this" and found better friends.


What's funny in all this is i just saw Justin who was driving a brand new SL500 with his girlfriend the other day..
I wondered if i made the wrong decision in my life?
but then reality hit me in the face..

He was a millionaire who seemingly had it all, and me still trying to pay off my student loans.

It's funny how life always comes back to bite you in the butt.

I hope they realize how embarassing this is on their families.. My parents would freeking disown me.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by BBQorMILDEW

What's funny in all this is i just saw Justin who was driving a brand new SL500 with his girlfriend the other day..
I wondered if i made the wrong decision in my life?
but then reality hit me in the face..

He was a millionaire who seemingly had it all, and me still trying to pay off my student loans.

It's funny how life always comes back to bite you in the butt.

I hope they realize how embarassing this is on their families.. My parents would freeking disown me.

Sucks to be you. Think of all his new boyfriends he is going to have in jail. You missed out again.

Plus i think with the new law, aren't they going to confiscate his vehicle too and use the money to capture the rest of his friends?

[BBQorMILDEW]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Sucks to be you. Think of all his new boyfriends he is going to have in jail. You missed out again.

Plus i think with the new law, aren't they going to confiscate his vehicle too and use the money to capture the rest of his friends?

I was/am extremely happy that i got away from that lifestyle,

I know there are more of them out there, I hope they all get busted

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by BBQorMILDEW

I know there are more of them out there, I hope they all get busted

The odds is that a majority of them will either end up dead or in jail. Not many are able to break-free and get back to a normal life.

[HelloHockeyFans]

In sort of related news... but in Ottawa:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...827?hub=Canada

The 18-month investigation culminated Tuesday with the execution of 20 warrants in the Ottawa area. Those arrested are facing a total of 230 drug and money laundering charges.


Police officials said a drug bust earlier this month netted more than 25 kilograms of marijuana, several firearms and more than $83,000 in cash. Police said the scope of the investigation was much bigger than they initially anticipated.


According to the press release, "The Criminal Organizations were also involved in money laundering operations, in which proceeds were transferred through the United States of America, into Canada, and Vietnam."

[calculoso]

What needs to be fixed is the "revolving door" of justice - get arrested, charged, bailed out, and back on the street.

How about a 3 strikes and you're out policy on bail? 3rd time that you're up on drug/gun/violence/serious charges (ie: third time that you'd be needing bail, not 3 charges in one incident) and it's automatically "No Bail for you"? 5 strikes?

There needs to be some way to keep these offenders... these constant criminals... off of the streets without targeting the first time offenders.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by BBQorMILDEW

What's funny in all this is i just saw Justin who was driving a brand new SL500 with his girlfriend the other day..

Talk about a heat score. A 25 year-old guy driving around in one of those things -- might as well be carrying a sign that says "pull me over".

I used to know a fellow who moved away and got into the drug selling business. The guy was "unemployed" and he had two houses and a boat that he paid 75 grand for, and every other goodie a young guy could possibly want. I don't know what happened to him.

It all sounds nice and all that, but then you remember that if you screw up at work you might get fired, but if he does something wrong, he might get whacked. He had to "work" with some pretty scary people, and he was scared of them. The HR people might call it a "toxic work environment".

[Ozy_Flame]

Live hard, die hard. Even with a nice car, house, boat, whatever, you're still far more likely to end up six-feet under than the normal person, and everything you have 'accomplished' just made the lives of everyone around you a lot harder.

A sheer........SHEER minority actually start doing really well while most are either dead or in jail. Even then, those that make it will live a very precarious, dangerous life that just doesn't make it worth it.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Talk about a heat score. A 25 year-old guy driving around in one of those things -- might as well be carrying a sign that says "pull me over".

I used to know a fellow who moved away and got into the drug selling business. The guy was "unemployed" and he had two houses and a boat that he paid 75 grand for, and every other goodie a young guy could possibly want. I don't know what happened to him.

It all sounds nice and all that, but then you remember that if you screw up at work you might get fired, but if he does something wrong, he might get whacked. He had to "work" with some pretty scary people, and he was scared of them. The HR people might call it a "toxic work environment".

That's the thing...crime pays. Look at the luxurious lives they can live. I guess in their minds, the risk is worth the reward..even if its temporary. Pretty shortsighted, but obviously enough of a tempation for some.

[BBQorMILDEW]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Talk about a heat score. A 25 year-old guy driving around in one of those things -- might as well be carrying a sign that says "pull me over".

I used to know a fellow who moved away and got into the drug selling business. The guy was "unemployed" and he had two houses and a boat that he paid 75 grand for, and every other goodie a young guy could possibly want. I don't know what happened to him.

It all sounds nice and all that, but then you remember that if you screw up at work you might get fired, but if he does something wrong, he might get whacked. He had to "work" with some pretty scary people, and he was scared of them. The HR people might call it a "toxic work environment".

I was pretty stupid when i was younger, all i could see was the "dollar today" I loved going to the bars and pouring 100 shots of anything and just sitting back and getting messed up.. I guess spending 500 dollars at the bar back then was amazing.. If i did that now i would be in dire straights for a couple weeks.

It was alot simpler back then too, no shootings to worry about just stabbings. I think back to that period of my life and i shake my head.

Although i did like driving a Del Sol all done up with a body kit at the age of 19.. Apparently god didn't and put a deer in front of me one night near Sylvan lake.. Totalled the car..

[henriksedin33]

hmmm, so Calgary gang members are white/female?

[CaptainCrunch]

And as of tonight, all but one are out on bail and no GPS tracking devices as part of their bail conditions.

To me, this is a prime indicator that the system doesn't work. These scumbags get arrested for massive gun and drug related charges where the drugs and guns were seized and some judge lets them back out on the street.

Especially in light of these scumbag gang members running around shooting each other and endangering good people.

Next step, they'll be sentenced to house arrest or three months in a minimum security prison where they can have weekly bbq's and access to 9 hole golf courses.

Until the justice system is amended based around todays problems with gangs, gun crimes and drug trafficking, the police are going to quite bothering to arrest these dirt bags because it ain't worth the paperwork in a catch and release system.

[Trojan97]

I went to High School with five of the people arrested. I can tell you one thing, if the police are satisfied with a bust of this magnitude they have some seriously low standards for their fight against gang activity.

Of the five I know, ONE is actually relatively involved in the day to day gang life. Kristie being considered a violent gangster is pretty laughable, the other three are low level coke dealers who have the gang connections via the drugs they sell I'm sure but they are also the lowest rung on the gangbanger ladder. These arrests are good to see but in the grand scheme of things mean very little in the sense of change. Hell, Leon Li has been in and out of jail over the past four years and this is the first time I've seen his name in the papers or on TV.

The timing of these arrests is interesting as well what with the recent announcement from Rick Hanson saying he wants 200 more officers and with Bronconnier set to meet with Stelmach to request the additional cash to fight the gang problems. Well played by the CPS to make themselves look sharp while they have the public eye on them.

The gang issue in this city is definitely a huge issue, and as a Justice student I truly believe the CPS is doing the best they can with the resources they have. Just like I think corrections and the judicial branch are doing the best with what they have. People need to keep in mind how understaffed and under funded these sectors are. Take a trip out to the remand center and see just how over populated our prisons have become. It's amazing how many inmates they have managed to pack into that place, they are simply running out of room to put people, and this is exactly why you see instances like this where 13 low level "thugs" are released on bail rather then spending time incarcerated. They simply aren't a big enough threat.

It's a tough situation all around, the 25 million would be a huge first step towards fighting the gang problem in Calgary but there is still a VERY long way to go when it comes to recessitating the Justice system in Alberta.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

Seriously no one else took the bait on this... ok...

I wonder if they managed to confiscate their Miatas?

I was sort of wondering if I'd find my cousin's loser friends, and maybe him, as one of those busts.

You know, just to stop embarrassing humans.

[fredr123]

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...1-86d7a7e47362

She [Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart] also spoke of the frustration of seeing courts release suspected gang members and associates so quickly.

However, a Mount Royal College criminologist explained that under only very limited circumstances can bail be denied.

Doug King said the public should not be surprised suspects are let out on bail in most cases.

Generally, bail is denied if the person is considered of significant risk to another person in the community, if the person would flee from justice and not show up in court, or if the police are unsure who they have in custody because the suspect gave no name or a false name and there is no identification on file, King said.

"Sometimes it's a hard reality for people to accept that the person who is charged with an offence is still considered innocent. When you deny them bail, you're putting them in jail," he said.

[Bobblehead]

Geez fredr123, the whole idea of "Innocent until proven guilty" is old fashioned. As soon as their names are printed in the paper they are guilty, and the closer to page 1 the story is, the longer the sentence should be.

I'm not "happy" that 13 of the 14 are free right now, and I'd love to see them come to trial ASAP so they can end up in PMITA pen, but they do have rights and until they have their trial they are allowed to avail themselves of those rights. The seizure of the properties probably hurts them more than a few more days in jail would.