After warning that Lower Mainland gang members have been trying to recruit Victoria-area students, local police departments are hosting an information session to help parents and caregivers understand how to deal with the situation.
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said in May that “bold and brazen” gang members have been venturing onto school grounds and ignoring anyone who tells them to leave.
Manak said some of those doing the recruiting are just a few years older than their student targets and savvy about how to talk to them, in same cases convincing them to sell vaping products or high-end clothes to lure them into a position of dependence.
The session is set for Wednesday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre.
The Saanich, Victoria, Oak Bay and Central Saanich police departments are all supporting the effort, along with Safer Schools Together — an international organization that helps schools deal with issues like violence, gang involvement and racism.
The group has brought in a strategy called Gang Reduction through Informed Practice, or GRIP, in collaboration with the provincial government.
“We are grateful to be part of this initiative and we absolutely encourage parents to attend to get the facts on gang activity in schools in Greater Victoria,” said Victoria police spokesperson Cheryl Major.
The public will hear about risk factors for students, the importance of community supports and how social media can play a role, said Jessy Johal, gang-reduction lead with the Surrey office of Safer Schools Together.
He said the organization works closely with school districts, police departments and others.
B.C. as a whole has a gang problem, not just various regions, said Johal, who will be presenting at the event, offering tips on what parents should look out for — everything from changes in a student’s behaviour to the unexplained appearance of new clothes or other items.
Saanich police Sgt. Jody Pavesic said the goal is to help educate parents, to “give them some tools for their tool box so they can be preventative and keep an eye on their children over the summer.”
Anyone interested in attending is asked to RSVP to [email protected].
