B.C. launches dedicated squad for gang-related homicides
The percentage of homicides that are gang-related in B.C. has more than doubled in the last 20 years, officials said when announcing a new team that will focus solely on investigating these cases.
These killings accounted for 21 per cent of cases in 2003 and 46 per cent in 2023, according to a statement from the Public Safety Ministry announcing the plan to launch the Integrated Gang Homicide Team.
"Gang-related homicides present unique challenges due to evidence tampering and witness reluctance, making them more time-consuming and resource-intensive to investigate," it says.
The team is expected to be fully operational by late 2024 or early 2025 and will operate under the umbrella of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, handling cases in its jurisdiction, which includes most of the Lower Mainland, but not Vancouver.
"For over 20 years, we have utilized an integrated policing approach, successfully investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the most egregious crimes, including members of organized crime groups who have, time and again, neglected public safety in furtherance of their own personal agendas," Supt. Mandeep Mooker, the officer in charge of IHIT, said in a statement.
"Now in 2024, as the gang landscape evolves, so must our approach to keeping Canadians safe."
According to the announcement, IHIT currently has 356 open and unsolved cases and members of the new team will be responsible for focusing on the ones that are gang-related.
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