Gang expert urges Fort McMurray to crack down on drugs
Zoe Todd | CBC News | Posted: February 24, 2017 1:00 PM | Last Updated: February 24, 2017
'Fort McMurray very quickly can become hell on earth,' warns motorcycle gang expert Yves Lavigne
An expert on outlaw motorcycle gangs says Fort McMurray needs to stem what he describes as a rising tide of drugs and organized crime.
"Fort McMurray very quickly can become hell on earth," Yves Lavigne said Thursday.
Lavigne, a Toronto-based author who has written a series of books about the Hells Angels and the drug trade, is urging Fort McMurray politicians and health officials to boost public awareness about drugs and the people who sell them.
"Scare the daylights out of 'em — really scare them," he said.
"People have to look at their children and think, 'Is my kid going to die Friday night taking some kind of stupid pill?'
"Kids have to look at their parents and think, 'Is my mom going to die because she's a stoner?' "
To emphasize his point, Lavigne pointed to a slew of charges laid against members of the Fort McMurray Tribal and Syndicate gangs on Thursday.
A week earlier, on Feb. 15, RCMP helped Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) seize a handgun, ammunition and drugs from two homes.
Officers also arrested a 49-year-old Tribal member and a 28-year-old Syndicate member, both from the Fort McMurray area. The suspects face trafficking, firearms and possession charges.
The two gangs are part of a network of Hells Angels support clubs in Alberta. Gangs in Fort McMurray tap into the drug market presented by the province's northern work camps, Lavigne said.
"The fact that there are now two gangs dealing up there means that the drug market has expanded and that there's a serious public health problem in Fort McMurray," he said. "These people wouldn't be there if they weren't making money selling drugs."
Lavigne described the recent seizure of drugs — 40 grams of cocaine and 10 grams of psilocybin mushrooms — as a small yet significant coup for Fort McMurray law enforcement.
The war against drugs and the war against organized crime is not won in a battle, it's won by fighting against them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. - Yves Lavigne, motorcycle gang expert
"Every little bust matters and they add up at the end of the day," Lavigne said.
Police likely found a dealer's stash, meant to fuel several days' worth of sales, he added.
"The war against drugs and the war against organized crime is not won in a battle, it's won by fighting against them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
'Take a proactive role'
Wood Buffalo RCMP are turning to the public, asking anyone with information about organized crime in the region to contact ALERT through its gang tip line.
"Take a proactive role in keeping your neighbourhood and community safe," RCMP Supt. Lorna Dicks told a news conference.
"Organized crime, outlaw bikers and gangs do not concern themselves with your health, well-being or safety," Dicks said. "They exist to profit through illegal means and this comes at our expense, whether directly or indirectly."
Dicks assumed her role as head of the Wood Buffalo RCMP detachment two months ago. As superintendent, she plans to focus on intelligence-led crime reduction.
"The Wood Buffalo region is not immune to organized crime and gangs," Dicks said. "Those illegal activities are not welcome here in Fort McMurray."
Lavigne acknowledged Dicks' call for public assistance as a positive step in fighting organized crime in Fort McMurray.
"It's good to get the public involved and the public needs to be involved," he said. "Good police work doesn't happen unless the public helps."
Anyone with relevant information is asked to call 780-788-GANG.