Indo-Canadian Gang Forum

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - Members of the Indo-Canadian community in Prince George gathered at UNBC Saturday afternoon to hear from two experts.

Prince George RCMP Gang Task Force Commander Sergeant Raj Sidhu says they've targeted that community for one reason. “It's basically because of the language that meeting will be in Punjabi—75% of them can only speak that so that's why.”

A member from the Lower Mainland District's Integrated Gang Task Force as well as someone from the Surrey School District were there. “[they] have lots of experience with people who get involved with gangs,” says Sidhu.

He says there have been over 100 young people who have died as a result of gang violence. “We're trying to take that proactive approach here so that parents know where to go to get some help,” says Sidhu.

But more importantly, he says “to recognize the symptoms that their children are joining gangs.”

He says he doesn't want to see what's happening in the Lower Mainland occur in Prince George. “I've heard that as young as 11 and as old as 21-25—it depends on how the children are exposed to—or when somebody is able to influence them.”

“We do have gangs in Prince George—Do we anticipate more? It's anybody's guess, but we want to make sure that doesn't happen,” says Sidhu.

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