Gun violence in NE no longer “the exception”: police
Posted Jul 21, 2015 4:21 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A rash of shootings in the city’s northeast not only has growing concern from local communities but from the Calgary Police Service as well who say as many as 100 people may be involved.
Standing alongside Ward 5 Councillor Ray Jones at a police headquarters media conference, the head of the Guns and Gangs Unit urged those living in areas that have seen violence to be vigilant.
In the first half of 2015, police responded to reports of 63 shootings in Calgary. That is nearly 10 more shooting incidents than all of 2014.
At least 25 of the 2015 incidents have occurred in the city’s northeast. That means nearly 40 per cent of Calgary’s shooting investigations centre on the same area.
Staff sergeant Quinn Jacques said it is very difficult to pin point what’s behind this recent rash in violence.
“We can reference back to 2007-2008 where we had an ongoing conflict between two factions in Calgary. That’s not the case these days. The conflict that we’re seeing doesn’t seem to have a root cause.
“Disputes over drugs is nothing new but the use of guns to resolve these disputes has now become the rule instead of the exception.”
When asked what he can say to reassure those living in communities like Rundle, the scene of a recent homicide investigation, Jacques replied they have personal working seven days a week to get to the root cause.
Coun. Jones said he has met with police and has been reassured they are on top of the matter.
“I have the utmost respect for the police department and what they’re trying to do and what they are doing,” Jones said.
“Police are arresting them, and the courts are letting them out, so the police officers are doing their job but the court system is not doing theirs,” Jones said.
