The Stick for Gangsters; New Laws Will Target Them

Allen Whylie

The feud among inner city gangs, particularly during the aftermath of ACP Chester Williams’ departure from his previous post as Commander of Eastern Division South, is responsible for the upsurge in violent crimes.  While those incidents have since been tapered, the work of the Gang Suppression Unit remains arduous.  Not only is the GSU the frontline for combating gang activity, its job is made much more challenging in the absence of anti-gang legislation.  But, according to the ComPol, that will change in the months ahead.

Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police

“The GSU is the anti-gang unit.  They are the operational unit who are the first responders to gang incidents.  The anti-gang task force will be more a set of investigators and intelligence officers who will be trying to build solid cases against the major gang leaders, their associates, the prolific shooters, the persons we believe to be their financiers and so they will have a different role from the GSU.  In terms of the anti-gang legislation, you know that we don’t actually have a gang legislation and so we are proceeding to establish a gang legislation which will give the police department more authority to deal with the gangs.  It will create specific gang offenses, as well as provide for certain injunctions against gang members, and it will also provide for what I believe will be very steep fines that will prohibit some of the persons who are currently involved from being involved.”