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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 27, 2007 - 9 Police report good start for Guns and Gangs Task Force By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF After only a month in operation the Guns and Gangs Integrated Task Force is celebrating some early successes in its offensive against local gangs and their associates. The task force, which includes members from the Halton Regional Police, Hamilton Police, Niagara Regional Police and Brantford Police, had its work recapped at a Halton Police Services Board meeting, Thursday, in a review that was deemed a good start by all present. Halton's Deputy Police Chief Andrew Fletcher noted in one month of service the task force had made 23 arrests and laid 74 criminal charges. The task force carried out five search warrants, which resulted in the seizure of cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana. The month has also seen the task force remove five firearms from the streets, which included a .44-calibre revolver, a Luger semiautomatic pistol and a Mac 11 machine gun. "What this speaks to is some of the great work these officers are doing by tapping into that environment and ridding our streets of those weapons," said Fletcher. "I know that we'll continue to experience great successes as these officers get to know their territories a bit more and come to understand their goals and responsibilities better." Fletcher noted while many people view Halton and the Town of Oakville as quiet places untouched by the presence of guns and gangs, an event on Tuesday, where a youth was charged with a number of firearms-related offences after police allegedly discovered a .45-calibre handgun in his possession, shows this is not always the case. "We are seeing an influx of the Toronto-based street gangs, who are making a move to the west. That's the nature of individuals associated with the street gang subculture, they travel, they're fluid and they're transient throughout the Golden Horseshoe and Greater Toronto area," said Detective Jeff Leder, who heads the task force. "There's a draw to many regions in the province and ours is one of them." In hopes of stamping out this influx the province has funded the task force to keep up sustained and co-ordinated pressure on gangs and their associates. It is this coordination that Leder points to when explaining the task force's success. "The biggest contributor would be teamwork with the various services representing the unit and internal partners among the services as well, such as drug units, intelligence units and uniformed personnel," said Leder. "Everyone's buying into the new unit and its mandate and we're getting lots of results." While the province only plans to fund the task force for 18 months Leder is hopeful funding will be extended and increased. "It is the hope of the investigative team that senior management will address this funding with the provincial government and hopefully increase funding to the point where we can get a full-time unit dedicated to this area of crime," said Leder. "It would be a huge bonus to the area to dedicate officers full-time to investigate and subsequently arrest members and associates of these street gang subcultures." PEDALE MALL HO Antique Show Come and see the Treasures Oct 31 - Nov. 4 HOPEDALE MALL Rebecca Street & Third Line, Oakville Tel: 905-827-7146 · www.hopedalemall.on.ca CABINET REFACING With A Lifetime Limited Material Warranty BEFORE We can transform your existing cabinets with new doors and laminate in your choice of style & colour. Select complimentary hardware & have the kitchen of your dreams. AFTER No Payments, No Interest for 6 Months O.A.C. Visit our showroom or call for your FREE In Home Consultation 1313 Speers Road, Oakville · 905-847-8964 Mon. - Fri. 9am-5pm, Sat. 10am-4pm www.granitetransformations.ca