Calgary police say there is help, and hope, for parents worried about their kids getting involved in gangs.
The head of Calgary's gang unit, Sgt. Martin Schiavetta, says parents can phone the gang hot line for help at 403-206-8191.
As well, the gang unit has strategies in place to help kids leave the criminal lifestyle. "That could mean relocation from the city," says Acting Staff Sergeant Martin Schiavetta.
Schiavetta says there are other options for kids wanting to get out of gang life but would not be specific. "I can't get into other strategies that we have because I don't want to compromise anything else I have going on right now."
There's also the Youth at Risk Development Unit which operates an intervention program targeting kids between the ages of 10 and 17.
Police say there's no manual for recruitment, but gangs target young people who feel disconnected. "One of the packages the gangs will sell is they've got your back, they're family, they provide that sense of belonging that all kids need and want," says Cst. Alan Devolan.
Despite the help out there, police say some parents choose to turn a blind eye because they're profiting from gang activity. "The kid actually makes some of the parent's life a little better because there's money thrown at the direction of the parent," says Rick Hanson the chief of Calgary's police service.
Police say ignoring the issue of kids involved in gang activity could have deadly consequences.
