Growing Problem of Street Gangs in Canada
Growing Problem of Street Gangs in Canada
It is a scenario of nightmarish quality. An unsuspecting innocent individual has taken a short cut to get home late at night and is confronted by a group of individuals on a back street. However, this is no ordinary group of young men and women. This group is what is commonly called a street gang. Usually associated with poorer urban areas of the United States, street gangs have made a huge impact in Canadian Cities. Known for criminal acts such as robbery, assault and even murder, street gangs in Canadian cities have become phenomenon with many varied definitions and potential causes. In the pages to follow many theories for the presence Canadian street gangs will be discussed, and many systems and organizations that are trying to solve this growing problem will be looked at. Street gangs are a problem that have infiltrated the streets of Canadian cities and are wreaking havoc on our nation. Through the help and cooperation of the government, and citizen and interest groups, this problem can perhaps one day be driven from our streets.
On October 24th 2000, a news article headline read, “Gang wars Leave 6 Dead”. However, this was not a U.S. newspaper, and these crimes did not occur south of the border. The article was in the Toronto Star and the crimes in question had taken place in North Etobicoke. The article contains sentences like “Six victims in Six months” and “calculated executions”. It also contains terms like “Bloods” and “Crips”. These terms and sentences have officially crossed the border and have become all too familiar in major Canadian urban centers.
In Metropolitan Toronto there are over 30 documented street gang organizations including gangs like The L.A. Boys, The Latin Locos, and the Parkside Crips. However, street gang presence is not only found in a city as large as Toronto. In smaller areas like Brampton, Ontario, there are over 5 documented organizations, like the No Loves, The Crips, and the Punjabi Mafia.
There are many theories as to why gangs begin and how they have flourished in Canadian cities. The most reasonable of the theories is that gangs stem from greater socio-economic factors present in many Canadian cities. Youths join gangs for reasons of security and belonging. Many gang members come from families where these characteristics are not present, and so the youths...