Publicly naming Metro Vancouver gangsters should curb violence: expert

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – For the second time in as many days, a police agency on the Lower Mainland has released the names and pictures of gangsters in the interest of public safety.

This comes after a series of shootings across the region, many of them public in nature and taking place in broad daylight.

One criminologist believes these kinds of rare public warnings will likely curb the violence, but it won’t be the flick of a switch.

“So it will take a little while for things to calm down,” says Rob Gordon, a criminology professor at Simon Fraser University. “Certainly identifying these people and naming them and shaming them is helpful. It certainly doesn’t produce any negative consequences.”

On Tuesday, B.C.’s anti-gang agency publicly identified 11 men, most in their 20s, who investigators say may be targets for future violence.

Three of those men were on a similar list released by Vancouver Police the day before.

On May 18, 2021, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia shared the names and photos of 11 gang members, asking people to stay away from them. (Courtesy: CFSEU-BC)

Gordon says police also did this several years ago when there was an increase in violence at the time.

“The then-chief of the Abbotsford Police Department decided to adopt a strategy, which has been used in other locations as well. And it was quite effective,” he explained. “But naming and shaming was only one aspect of it. They also had a group strategy around banning known gang members from various establishments. So they were isolated, or trying to isolate them, within the community.”

He says there had been fears in the past that certain people who were being named would lash out in response. However, he notes that didn’t actually turn out to be the case.

“It was one way — and I emphasize this — one way in which … the community can push back against these individuals who are terrorizing neighbourhoods and terrorizing communities with the shootings,” Gordon explained, stressing this move to put these peoples’ names and faces out there needs to be part of a larger plan.

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Banning gangsters from certain establishments, as was done in the past, is another method that can compliment this kind of action, he says.

“Basically, doing anything that will isolate these individuals and deny them services in the community. But it would require that the entire community stood behind this strategy, and that the individuals who are running businesses that were affected by this were going to get the support of the police in the event there was any kind of violent or attributed push back,” Gordon told NEWS 1130.

“There needs to be a carefully planned and exercised approach to this issue.”

Shootings over the past month have taken place in various settings, including near restaurant patios, outside busy malls, and even outside the departures terminal of Vancouver International Airport.

While the lists provided by police this week only include a certain number of individuals, investigators have said there are “many other” gangsters on their radar.

“This is not an exhaustive list. However, we felt the need to get these names and photos out right away,” Vancouver Police Chief Const. Adam Palmer said Monday. “Every single patrol officer will know every single player in this conflict. They will step up patrols in the city — specifically near the restaurants and businesses the gangsters frequent.”

On May 17, 2021, Vancouver police shared a poster with the names and photos of six known gang members. (Courtesy: VPD)

Senior police leaders from across the region have met with B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth to discuss a plan to address the recent rise in violence.

They have said the level of integration between departments right now is “unprecedented.” In a statement, released after their meeting with Farnworth, the region’s top cops said the disregard for public safety that gangs have shown is unacceptable, adding officers are doing everything they can to hold those responsible accountable.

Many experts have said there’s been a recent trend of younger people joining the gang lifestyle.

Police have pleaded with the public to come forward with any information about gang or criminal activity.

“We don’t want further violence. But let us be clear: for those who are involved in this, we are coming after you. We are coming after every single one of you,” said Sgt. Frank Jang with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team earlier in May.

-With files from Denise Wong