Surrey Police Gang Unit Temporarily Disbanded Amid Staffing Crisis
In a significant operational shift, Surrey's specialized police gang unit has been temporarily disbanded, with all nine officers reassigned to other duties. This move occurred in January, just before the high-profile slaying of Brothers Keepers gangster Naseem Mohammed on January 12.
Reassignment Details and Timing
Postmedia has confirmed that the specialized gang officers, who previously collected intelligence and patrolled bars, restaurants, and major events frequented by gangsters, have been temporarily repurposed. The reassignment took place in January, preceding the killing of Naseem Mohammed, who was a suspect in other murders at the time of his death.
Mohammed was found dead inside a Panorama Ridge house at 12732 56th Avenue in Surrey, which was subsequently set on fire after he was shot. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken over this case.
Staffing Challenges and Operational Priorities
The nine gang unit officers were initially redirected to work on extortion investigations and have since been assigned to new units. This restructuring comes as the Surrey Police Service grapples with significant staffing shortages.
SPS Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton explained that officers have been "temporarily repurposed" from various SPS units, including the gang crime team, "based on current operational priorities, including the Cloverdale transition and extortions."
Houghton noted that the reassignments may conclude in July, "at which time SPS will have been able to hire and train more experienced officers and our next recruit class will graduate."
Concerns About Intelligence Gathering and Community Safety
Independent MLA Elenore Sturko, a former Surrey RCMP officer, expressed serious concerns about the temporary disbandment of the specialized gang unit. She emphasized that gang officers perform unique functions, including face-to-face interactions with gangsters during "duties to warn" about potential threats, curfew checks, and proactive patrols for intelligence collection.
"The intelligence gathering is done on a different scale" with local gang officers compared to provincial units, Sturko stated. She highlighted the importance of visible street presence, saying gang units "have that kind of street intelligence and credibility to do things like bar walks, restaurant checks to make sure that they manage what has been at times throughout the Lower Mainland and in Surrey a really hostile environment."
Sturko added that a designated gang unit, with identifiable vehicles and uniforms, "is extremely important to making sure that the landscape of criminal behaviour in the city is being managed."
Organized Crime Response and Recruitment Challenges
Despite the temporary reassignment of the gang team, Houghton assured that the SPS's organized crime team "remains fully operational" and that Surrey continues to receive support from the provincewide Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.
"Our organized crime team is responsible for identifying and dismantling organized crime groups that pose a threat of harm or violence to the community," Houghton said, noting the team is staffed "by over a dozen sworn officers and civilian support staff."
The staffing challenges facing SPS are evident in their recruitment efforts. Sturko pointed out that the police service is offering a $30,000 signing bonus for experienced officers to join the force, indicating clear struggles in attracting personnel.
Community Observations and Security Concerns
A retired RCMP officer living in North Surrey reported observing suspicious activity in his neighborhood in mid-March. He told Postmedia that he witnessed meetings between several suspicious men on his street over several weeks, with individuals arriving in vehicles, getting out to talk, but not appearing connected to any specific house. The retired officer requested anonymity for security reasons when reporting these observations to police.
This community concern underscores the importance of visible police presence and specialized units in monitoring and addressing potential criminal activity in Surrey neighborhoods.
