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Gangs.

Are.

And not as obvious as you’d think.

real.

And not as obvious as you’d think.

Alberta has gangs.

And these gangs are causing serious damage—to our communities and neighbourhoods, to businesses and property, and to their loved ones and other innocent families.

GANGS. FOUND.

Down the street. At the corner store. Under your roof? Organized crime is happening in your community. Look closer. You’ll see gangs exist and are thriving in Alberta.

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How many

more deaths?

Gun-related deaths are at an all-time high. There were 52 gun related deaths in Alberta during 2020. At least 10 of these deaths were from gang related firearms activity.

In 2018, Alberta had the third highest homicide rate among the provinces.

In 2018, half of all Canada’s firearms-related homicides were connected to gang activity.

 

In 2020, nearly half (48%) of all shooting events in Alberta were targeted.

Gangs.

Next Generation.

Gangs cost our communities: beyond fear, vandalism, drug dealing, violence and loss of safety in your neighbourhood, incarceration for one average male gang member is about $93,000.

Gangs are in urban and rural areas.

 

Gangs influence, groom and recruit kids starting as young as 8-years-old.

 

Children lost, friends lost, family bonds lost. What’s that worth?

 

A higher cost? Many gangsters don’t live past 30.

 

3 people + organized criminal activity for money = a gang

Think you know? Gang myths busted:

Click to reveal the truth.

Gangs are reaching into far more communities than ever before.

A child who thinks, acts and looks like a gangster runs a high risk of being recruited by a gang.

Gangsters are harder than ever to identify. Contemporary gangs often dress more mainstream to blend in. Behavior is the real indicator of gang involvement.

You have influence

Have you seen signs? Is someone you know in a gang? Here’s what to do.

1.

See if they’re open to exiting the gang. Let them know you’re supportive.

2.

Be a listener. Help identify their personal hurdles and support them in making a plan.

3.

Help them find education, work or hobby related opportunities.

4.

Encourage relationships with people or institutions that are completely removed from gang life.

Get yourself out of a gang.

Believe in your power to change.

Gangs are dead-ends. No matter what you’ve done, you deserve better.

Fill your time with anything non-gang related.

Sports, family time, old hobbies.

Stop looking like a gangster.

Making people feel afraid of you doesn’t help you feel good about yourself.

Get good at excuses.

Distance yourself. Find any and all reasons to not hang out with your gang.

Find support for the transition out.

Connect with someone you can talk to who believes in you and your exit.

Gang Exit and Community Outreach Services

The Gang Exit and Community Outreach Services (GECOS) program is funded by the Government of Canada, Gangs and Guns Violence Action Fund. GECOS is operated province-wide by the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General in partnership with the Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Grande Prairie John Howard Societies and the Lethbridge/Medicine Hat McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association.

GECOS is available to individuals interested in exiting, or have affiliation with gangs who are incarcerated in a Government of Alberta adult or young offender correctional facility, or who are residing in the community.  

  • GECOS participants are gang involved men, women and youth
    • At a high risk of re-offending; 
    • Disengaged from education or legitimate employment;
    • Experiencing difficulties accessing community services.
 

GECOS involvement is voluntary and participants must exhibit willingness and motivation to achieve mutually established case planning goals to exit gang lifestyles.  

GECOS’ overriding objective is to end participant involvement with the justice system by accessing available wrap-around community resources including:

  • Education;
  • Employment training;
  • Financial support;
  • Treatment;
  • Housing; 
  • Prosocial supports

GECOS program and enrolment information is available at:

Northern Alberta Region

Edmonton JHS GECOS
(780) 428-7590

Grande Prairie JHS GECOS
(780) 532-0373

central alberta Region

Calgary JHS GECOS
(403) 266-4566

Red Deer JHS GECOS
(403) 343-1770

southern Alberta Region

Lethbridge McMan Youth, Family and Community Services GECOS
(403) 328-2488

*If a participant feels their safety is endangered by attempting to exit a gang, they must contact 911 for police assistance. 

I got out

of a gang.

Ex-gang member “Marcus” talks about his experience.

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Definitions

467.1 (1) The following definitions apply in this Act.

criminal organization

criminal organization means a group, however organized, that

  • (a) is composed of three or more persons in or outside Canada; and
  • (b) has as one of its main purposes or main activities the facilitation or commission of one or more serious offences that, if committed, would likely result in the direct or indirect receipt of a material benefit, including a financial benefit, by the group or by any of the persons who constitute the group.

It does not include a group of persons that forms randomly for the immediate commission of a single offence.(organisation criminelle)

Since 2022, CISA has been guided by four pillars that focus the effort to promote an integrated, intelligence-led approach to combating organized crime; these are:

  • Building Relationships with Stakeholders;
  • Promote Intel Sharing Across the Province;
  • Being Proactive and Identify Emerging Trends; and
  • Investing in Our People Through Training and Development

 

Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta (CISA) has recently developed an Alberta Firearms Intelligence Centre (AFIC) to equitably expand access to firearms intelligence for all law enforcement agencies within Alberta. AFIC will provide timely, accurate, and actionable intelligence to law enforcement agencies and policy-makers to achieve the shared and collaborative goals of increasing public safety concerning firearm-related crimes.

Protecting Kids Online | Internet Child Exploitation

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

FILE INTAKES

680

872

1,149

1,114

3,815

2,994

2,764

SUSPECTS CHARGED

22

16

34

37

109

81

125

CHARGES LAID

87

45

123

160

415

351

413

CHILDREN RESCUED

26

78

56

43

203

46

100

EXHIBITS SEIZED

335

368

545

476

1,724

1,243

1,845

TOTAL PHOTOS/VIDEOS

262,400

511,133

1,374,310

606,254

2,754,097

2,551,921

13,260,819

Stopping Human Trafficking | HUMAN TRAFFICKING & COUNTER EXPLOITATION

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

13

10

7

4

34

30

76

CHARGES LAID

79

46

87

19

231

96

157

VICTIM INTERVENTIONS

30

29

17

37

113

28

22

Intelligence & Expertise | CISA / Training

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

INTELLIGENCE REPORTS

409

296

327

442

1,474

1,560

1,318

TRAINING COURSES

5

3

8

11

27

36

25

CANDIDATES TRAINED

321

56

135

350

862

933

638

Disrupt & Dismantle Organized Crime | Combined Special Forces Enforcement

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

40

27

42

32

141

197

168

CHARGES LAID

176

156

237

231

800

1,088

820

FIREARMS SEIZED

105

53

26

48

232

102

126

EST. VALUE OF DRUGS SEIZED

$906,814

$553,851

$2,725,161

$1,148,337

$5,334,163

$10,898,269

$334,093,020

PROCEEDS OF CRIME SEIZED

$218,133

$52,970

$130,996

$230,195

$632,294

$1,432,847

$21,740,617

ANNUAL Regional ResultS

ARRESTS

CHARGES

FIREARMS

DRUGS

PROCEEDS

CALGARY

24

110

14

$937,422

$65,881

EDMONTON

17

131

45

$592,839

$272,446

FORT MCMURRAY

8

78

4

$352,942

$144,301

GRANDE PRAIRIE

7

17

13

$192,145

$31,855

LETHBRIDGE

7

29

44

$349,773

$51,245

LLOYDMINSTER

24

93

41

$164,134

$12,504

MEDICINE HAT

37

179

13

$293,108

$7,861

RED DEER

17

163

58

$2,451,800

$46,201

TOTALS

141

800

232

$5,334,163

$632,294

Organized Property Crimes | Auto Crimes

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

SUSPECTS CHARGED

1

1

2

1

10

CHARGES LAID

11

47

STOLEN VEHICLES

23

15

1

6

45

245

118

RECOVERED ASSETS

$1,432,000

$941,025

$108,000

$260,000

$2,741025

$8,420,500

$3,919,500

Firearms investigations | Firearms lab & Gang suPpression teams

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

FIREARMS EXAMINATIONS

349

351

243

235

1,178

EXHIBIT EXAMINATIONS

1,316

1,409

891

1,099

4,715

SERIAL NUMBER RESTORATIONS

31

34

19

24

108

IBIS SUBMISSIONS

343

421

1,334

304

2,402

GUN SEIZURES

1

14

15

SUSPECTS CHARGED

4

22

26

CHARGES LAID

41

144

185

Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) involves images and/or videos that depict the sexual abuse of minors – the majority of which involve prepubescent children. Often, CSAM involves explicit and/or extreme sexual assaults against the child victim (Cybertip.ca).

Learn more about Internet Child Exploitation and ALERT’s integrated teams combatting this issue.

Ghost Guns are illegal, privately manufactured firearms or lower receivers. These weapons are often made with 3D-printers, and undermine public safety due to their lack of licensing requirements, serialization and safety controls.

Learn more about Ghost Guns on ALERT’s dedicated Privately Manufactured Firearms info page