Prevention program aims at steering kids from gang life
Posted March 30, 2013 1:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A police prevention program using forfeited vehicles from gangsters to teach kids a lesson is starting up in a couple of months.
The cars are expensive, attractive and will be provided by the Civil Forfeiture Office says Sgt. Lindsey Houghton with BC’s gang task force.
Houghton says cops will be getting two of them to reach out to young people at community events this summer. “We’re looking for opportunities, creative ones like this vehicle that may get the attention of pre-teens or even teenagers,” he explains.
Abbotsford Police initiated the project two years ago.
“Not only will we be using the vehicles as a tool to demonstrate and educate some of the perils of joining gang lifestyle that we see so prevalent in today’s media with some of the gang related homicides, but it will also serve as an initial conversation piece, something to break the ice with youth,” says Houghton.
The self-funding Civil Forfeiture Office relies on referrals from police agencies and court approval in every contested forfeiture case. To safeguard the office’s integrity, the loan program will:
- Not loan a particular vehicle to any agency involved in its forfeiture.
- Loan only vehicles forfeited as a result of gang or drug-trade involvement.
- Require the police agency to develop its own business plan and anti-gang messaging.
- Involve community partners in covering operating costs like insurance,maintenance and applying a wrap or “skin” of visuals and messaging to a vehicle.
