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CrimeGangs19TuesdayAugust262014FORTSMITHSANNUALARTSFESTIVALSummerSplashisbroughttoyoubyOOTTOOOLLOOOUUURRSSSPPPOOONNSSSOOORRSSSIINNSSSTRRUUUCCCTTTOORRSSPPRRRTTIICCCIIPPNNTSSSVVOOLLUUNNEEEERRSSSSSSTTFFFFEENNDOOORRSSSNNDDCCCOOOMMMMUUNNIITYYMMEEMMBBEERRSSSSFFOOORRMMIINNGGGHHIISSEERRSSSSSSUUUMMMMEERRSSSSSSPPLLAASSHHAAASSSUUUCCCCCCCEESSSSSEmpoweringCommunitiesAnNTHydroCompanyNORTHERNLIFEMUSEUMCULTURALCENTRETHISYEARSFESTIVALWASAHUGESUCCESSThanksalsotoWallysDrugsandCABConstructionforbeingadvertisementsponsors.ByDALICARMICHAELDrugsstabbingsweap-onsandpilesofcash-allhavebeenassociatedwiththe856gangthenewestplayerontheproverbialblockinYellowknife.AnattackatthecitysCoyotesSteakhousethatleftavictiminhospitalwithmultiplestabwoundswasonlythemostrecentinastringofactivityconnectedtothe856gangwhichhasslowlybeenmovinginfromAldergroveandLangleyB.C.tonorthernBritishColumbiaAlbertaandnowtheNWToverthelastsev-eralyears.Thegangsnamerepresentstheirhometownareacodeandmemberscanbeidentifiedbythenumberstattooedontheinsidelip.AccordingtoStaffSgt.CraigPetersonwhountilrecentlyoversawinvestiga-tionsintothe856ganginYellowknifelocalRCMPfirstnoticedthemaroundJanuary2013.NobodysreallytappedtheNorthandYellowknifelikethe856hasPetersonsaid.Theyvemanagedtomoveinfairlyeasilyandwithoutalotofresistantviolencethatweveseenandtheyvemanagedtomakeaprettygoodnameforthemselvesinthedrugworldandthecriminalworld-andfinancially.LastDecemberanopera-tioncalledProjectGoblinsawYellowknifeRCMPraidfourresidencesandastoragelockerassociatedwiththegangwherepolicefoundweaponsdrugsand32000incash.Onlytwo856gangincreasesnotorietyintheNorthNewgangorganizedwithbackingfromlargercriminalgroupsoftheninepeoplearrestedendedupdoingjailtime.Thisnewgangisor-ganized.Theyhavesomebackingfromstrongeror-ganizedcrimegroupsinthelowermainlandliketheHellsAngelsPeter-sonsaid.SincesettingupshopintheNorththeganghasbeenknowntosellcrack-cocainepowderedcocaineandmarijuanathoughotherextensionsofthegrouphavebeencaughtwithOxy-continandheroinaswell.StartedasmischievouskidsAccordingtoinvestiga-torRichardKoranskiwhousedtoprovideoperationssupportforLangleyRCMPthegangstartedoutasagroupofhighschoolstu-dentsaround2006.Itwasalmostlikebeinginwaterandtheyreslowlyincreasingthetemperatureandwedidntrealizehowhotthetemperaturewasget-tinguntilitboiledKoran-skisaid.Withinayearorsocom-plaintsaboutthegangwentfrombullyingandstealinglunchmoneytothreatsanddrugactivitywhichiswhenlocalpolicereallystartedpayingattentiontotheirhappenings.Fearofthegangreachedahighpointwhenapar-entofan856erwasriddledwithbulletswhiledroppinghiskidoffatthelocalhighschool.ItwaslaterallegedthattheparentwassomehowassociatedwiththeHellsAngels.Itsbadenoughwhenyougetparentsthatmightbeen-ablingkidsjustbypassivelynotsayingtothemListenyouvegottosmartenupyouvemadebadchoicesbuttosayImactivelyin-volvedinacriminallifestyleandthisishowIroll-kidsgenerallyacthowtheyseetheirparentsactingandthatcanhaveaveryundermin-ingeffectKoranskisaid.Byapplyingsocialnet-worktheorieswhichKoran-skiisstudyingforhisPhDatSimonFraserUniversitytheinvestigatorpinpointedsomeofthegangskeyplay-ersandknockedthemoutofthegame.RecruitmentandavoidanceTheyarealwayslookingforpeoplePetersonsaidabouttheirrecruitinghab-its.Theyreayounggangsotheyrelookingforlocalknowledgelocaldrugtradepeoplethatareyoungerandinuentialandthattheycantakeonaspartoftheirgrouphesaiddescribingthe856gangstypicalrecruit.AsforpreventionofgangactivityorstoppinglocalkidsfrombeingrecruitedbygangsPetersonsaystheworkstartsathome.Education-wisehowweraiseourchildrenandtheawarenessthatalthoughgloriedinTVandmoviesganglifeisntthechoicePetersonsaid.Thesearentpeoplethatlivelifehappily.Theyrealwaysonguardtheyreveryparanoidandtheyknowthatsomebodyistryingtomoveinonthemastheyvemovedinontosomebodyelse.The856gangwasrstnoticedinYellowknifearoundJanuary2013.Severalarrestsandmorerecentlystabbingshavebeenlinkedtothegroupastheycontinuetomovenorthward.PhotoFilePhoto