Residents wonder if peace will last in raided neighbourhoods
Toronto's police chief says Wednesday's pre-dawn house raids are the end of a street gang's reign of terror in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood, but residents of another area targeted years ago in a similar bust say it's not enough to keep the peace.
"Today we have one less street gang terrorizing the neighbourhoods in the city of Toronto," Bill Blair said Wednesday.
"With the arrest of those individuals, with the seizure of their weapons, and the profits of their criminal enterprise, I believe we have dealt organized crime groups a significant blow," he said. "I believe our city is safer because of the work that has been done today [Wednesday]."
The latest crackdown on guns and gangs netted 95 suspected Driftwood Crips members and associates. The raids were on homes from the Niagara Region north to Barrie, but focused mostly on the gang's home base in the Jane-Finch area.
Three years ago, Blair's predecessor, Julian Fantino,was proudly announcing the dismantling of another violent gang, the Malvern Crew, with the arrests of 65 members.
Residents in that northeast end community say the area's transformation wasn't without its struggles, but mentoring programs were a key part of it.
Brian Henry, a former gang member who now mentors teens, says shortly after the early morning raids, young teenagers quickly tried to fill the shoes of the drug dealers in the leadership vacuum. He expects the same thing will happen in Jane-Finch.
He says the city needs to step in and set up mentoring programs to keep troubled teens out of gangs.
"This is the only model that I have seen work," says Henry. "There is no kid that is going to go into a workshop, and come back out and have an epiphany.
"You need to get in there and do long-term sustainable day-in, day-out work with these kids.See them every day. Be a part of their life.Talk to them when they're sad. Help them find a job. Help them get their driver's licence."
Toronto Mayor David Miller agrees and says the city is ready to invest in mentoring programs in Jane-Finch to repeat Malvern's success.
"It's a complete transition in two years. We have seen it work."
Meanwhile, Jane-Finch residents are revelling in the new-found peace and quiet in their neighbourhood.
"I don't go outside. My children don't go outside unless they are going to their grandmother's house. We don't stay outside," said Karen, who asked to only use her first name for fear of reprisals from local drug dealers. "So I'm very happy about this."