KEVIN Hackett, Chief Officer of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia, says in the newly released 2014 Community Report of the CFSEU-BC that there has been a significant decline in gang violence and he expects to see more successes this year.
In his message, Hackett states:
THE Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia is making significant headway in the efforts to curtail gang activity. There has been a significant decline in crime statistics related to gang violence over the last year. This is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the nearly 400 officers and civilians who make up the CFSEU-BC along with all of our police, academic, and community partners who we work with every day.
In this past year, the CFSEU-BC has been involved in some high-profile investigations that have resulted in arrests and charges against 97 organized crime and / or gang-related individuals for at least 270 offences in close to 30 communities throughout B.C. One of the most notable was the joint CFSEU-BC and Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) murder investigation that resulted in seven guilty pleas in July 2013 and one in June 2014 of United Nations gang members and their associates, who were ruthlessly hunting members of the Bacon Brothers crime group. They displayed a blatant disregard for public safety in what Crown Counsel referred to as “human safaris” while they targeted their rivals.
Proactively, the CFSEU-BC launched its End Gang Life campaign in late 2013. This informative, educational and innovative prevention and engagement strategy has generated conversations across the province. I’m very excited about the future of this thought provoking project and its potential legacy.
The next year is anticipated to see more successes as the prevention methods now being employed by the CFSEU-BC, combined with our ongoing enforcement and disruption efforts, make a profound impact on violent gangs and gang members in British Columbia. The CFSEU-BC has made a substantial impact on gang crime with its involvement in major investigations across B.C., Canada, the U.S., and internationally and will continue to make that a priority in the coming year.
As the new chief of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia, I look forward to leading our collective effort to ensure that we end gang life in British Columbia and continue to enhance public safety in every community in this province.
CFSEU-BC’s End Gang Life webpage:
