Winnipeg police are taking the unusual step of sending officers door-to-door to talk to residents about the biker war.
As early as today, uniformed officers will start dropping by neighbourhoods throughout the city in which bikers or their associates living nearby, although a police spokesman said officers won't be naming the gang or pointing out exact addresses.
The goal is creating a "heightened awareness" of the situation, police said, and also ask for the public's help reporting any suspicious activity.
"We don't want to create panic. We don't want to create undue stress on individuals. We want to empower them," said Const. Jason Michalyshen, a city police spokesman.
He reiterated earlier comments that the vast majority of the violence — firebombings and shootings — has been targeted at homes or businesses with links to outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Street-level associates of the Rock Machine and the Hells Angels in Winnipeg have been locked in a battle over turf for at least a month, resulting in more than a dozen firebombings and shootings.
No comments:
Post a Comment