WAVE OF GANG CRIME

RCMP Say Latest Incident Was a 'Drug Rip'

Police in Prince George are investigating an apparent "drug rip" home
invasion.

Officers were called to a home on the 1600-block Juniper Street Friday
morning after occupants reported a man had burst into the home with a
"large-edged weapon," demanding drugs, Cpl. Craig Douglass said.

Police believe the suspect is a First Nations man "in his 20s wearing
a tan hoodie, blue jeans and runners."

The suspect was unable to control two occupants in the home and fled.
He and an unidentified driver took off in an older, dark-coloured
Honda vehicle. No one was injured in the incident, Douglass said.

In an interview earlier in the week, Douglass said Prince George RCMP
are faced with a wave of violent gang crime, which seems to have
resulted from successful police crackdowns on Fraser Valley gang
activity, sending gangsters north, and especially into Prince George.

Prince George, population 74,000, suffered a stunning nine homicides
in 2010, six of them gang-and drug-related, which means, statistically
speaking, the city may be Canada's new murder and gang-violence
capital. "[Violence] is coming from

instability with rival gangs and [drug] turf wars," Douglass said. He
said the RCMP will "absolutely" stem the tide of gang violence in
Prince George in 2011.

The detachment has already made strides, Douglass said, introducing
the Downtown Enforcement Team, increasing intelligence-led
enforcement, and has "targeted organized street gang members and
significantly disrupted their ability to operate in Prince George."

Anyone with information about the Juniper Street home invasion is
asked to call Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300 or Crime Stoppers at
1 (800) 222-TIPS (8477).