The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) is stepping up its presence at local bars and restaurants to stem possible gang violence.
APD media officer Art Stele said the gang crime unit (GCU) will make increased checks at local establishments “to bolster public safety and ensure that patrons and staff do not fall victim to the potential of needless violence.”
“Enforcement will be focused on addressing persons who attend local establishments and are identified as being involved in the ongoing brutal and deadly B.C. gang conflict whose presence invokes an increased safety risk not only for patrons but also for staff and the public at large,” Stele said.
He said officers will also do more ID checks to catch under-age drinkers.
Stele said the initiative is not in response to any particular incident or an increase in gang activity, but is being done as a proactive measure.
He said there is no specific person or group that is being targeted, and checks will be conducted with the “full communication” of staff and management.
“The action ensures that persons associated to the B.C. gang conflict feel the heat and are aware that Abbotsford is not a community that tolerates gang activities and the needless and deadly violence it brings,” Stele said.
The APD has announced similar measures over the years, including its participation in a previous B.C.-wide program known as Bar Watch.
A 2018 Abbotsford News article about a night with the GCU described officers attending some local bars and restaurants and asking known gang members to leave.
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In one restaurant, they found known gangster Varinderpal Gill in the men’s washroom and escorted him out, telling him that his presence was a danger to everyone in the business.
Two weeks later, Gill was gunned down in the parking lot of The Junction Shopping Centre in Mission. To date, no one has been charged with his killing.
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