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At a time when most Edmontonians were dealing with one of the coldest winters in a decade, Edmonton police were dealing with one of the most violent spells in recent memory.

January 2008 found authorities investigating numerous drive-by shootings and incidents of gang-related violence – while at the same time facing a wall of silence from possible witnesses and the public at large.

The matter came to a head when the Metro Edmonton Gang Unit called a press conference to calm citizen fears – and express the frustration of police efforts to quell a growing wave of gang-related violence.

By February 1st the city had recorded four homicides in addition to a reported eight serious shootings – including six drive-bys on houses. A full report of the shootings can be found here.

Realising a crisis of several kinds was at hand, Edmonton police gathered the press at headquarters.

It was there in a fourth-floor conference room that Staff Sgt. Kevin Galvin, head of the service's Co-ordinated Crime Unit, faced many of the same reporters he addressed three months earlier at a media awareness session.

In November 2007, Galvin predicted a looming gang turf war was about to erupt. What he didn't forecast was the deafening silence from the community when it did.

"What I find really interesting here is that no one else from the community ever calls," Galvin said, clearly perplexed by the public's apparent lack of reaction to four drive-by shootings in a week.

"Everyone in the community where these things are occurring has seen suspicious activities. They know that certain houses in their communities just don't make sense, the people that are living there have money when they really shouldn't have.

"I have not received one Crime Stoppers tip from the community on any of the recent drive-by shootings," Galvin said, adding somewhat sarcastically: "I don't expect gang members and gang associates to call us."

Galvin noted that the Supreme Court of Canada has guaranteed complete anonymity to anyone who comes forward to Crime Stoppers with a tip.

"The true ability to deal with this is a community response," Galvin said.

The 21-year Edmonton police veteran said that all the victims of the recent shootings were involved in crime. Galvin didn't reveal specific motives but said "intimidation crimes are a well-known commodity of gangs" and are often motivated by business, reputation or ego – but that doesn't mean ordinary citizens aren't affected.

"We don't want citizens of Edmonton to fear for their safety in their homes," Galvin said.

"These acts are very deliberate and specifically targeted to individuals associated with gang activity. Still, the community must be aware that these violent acts and the people who commit these acts marginalize the safety and security of our communities and our city."

Galvin said victims of gang-related crimes often do not want to cooperate with police and by law they are not required to do so.

“By accessing Crime Stoppers and reporting all suspicious activity to police we send a message that gang activity is not tolerated, explains Galvin. “Information received from the public greatly increases our opportunity to solve crimes.”

Despite the number of shootings in the last two months, Galvin insisted there has not been a real increase in gang-related violence in Edmonton. He called the recent violence a part of the "ebb and flow" of gang activity.

"The gang wars of 1999 here in Edmonton is what set this trend and we've been dealing with this for close to 10 years."

"In spite of recent events, there's been no increase of gang violence in Edmonton. This is not new."

But while police pointed to figures that showed increased gang arrests, the recent shootings seemed to indicate overall gang activity remains unaffected.

In 2007 the metro Edmonton gang unit brought forward 814 new charges against 288 gang members or associates. In 2006 there were 636 charges laid, up from 594 in 2005.

Police said their investigations are made difficult by new technologies being used by gangs, the complexity of dealing with organised crime under current legislation, and the easy mobility of gangs, Galvin said. He noted some gang members have even received military training.

Last year, Vancouver saw over twenty killed in gang-related shootings, with many openly shot on city streets or in restaurants. Galvin said it would be hard to predict whether Edmonton would experience similar, highly public levels of gang violence.

"I can say that this activity does marginalize the state of the safety and security of our community," he said.

"Does that mean that everyone is in danger? No. Is their safety at risk? Yes. In some circumstances it is at risk. As long as the community tolerates this type of behaviour, we're all at risk."

Always pleased to reiterate his predictions, criminologist Bill Pitt suggested that with gang violence the worst was yet to come.

"My intelligence and my research has indicated that Edmonton, Calgary and the province of Alberta is the go-to province," said Pitt.

"This is the place they want to be and this is where they're going to set up."

Those grappling with the current situation said some people think the problem of violence is insurmountable when linked to gangs.

"With a gang problem, where do you start?" Jana Grekul, a criminologist who works with Community Solutions to Gang Violence, asked an Edmonton Journal reporter when interviwed.

"When you make it that big, people are intimidated by it. It's a community-based problem. It's important that people speak out."

There were those who said police could do better by calling it a drug problem, including Len Untereiner, president of Spirit Keeper Youth Society and a former gang member himself.

"Saying it's gang-related and drug-related are exactly the same thing," he said.

"It's drug-related and there are many youth that are involved. A youth problem is a community problem and we have a youth problem in Edmonton."

Untereiner echoed Staff Sgt. Galvin's earlier words when he told the Journal Edmonton's booming economy has made drug trading a profitable industry. As a result, the city's gangs have grown, are loosely organised and show signs of co-operation.

One dealer Untereiner spoke of was part of three separate gangs, in that he was getting his drugs from three different suppliers. He said the recent shootings were not geographic turf wars but disputes between dealers who had stepped on someone's market share or enforcement for debts.

Galvin had stated Alberta was the home of two dozen organised crime groups who have found enough room in an illicit economy to co-exist and co-operate peacefully.

But while the police officer said he was frustrated by an citizen unwillingness to help solve recent shootings, Sandy Erickson, project manager for Community Solutions to Gang Violence, told the Journal that's not the public's job.

"I think this is a very narrow view of what the role of the community is, when the public hears about shots being fired into a home it's sort of unreal and people get really fearful," said Erickson.

She said if police really want to engage the public in a useful way they should put more resources towards prevention with things like after-school programs and sporting activities for young people at risk of joining gangs.

According to Galvin, "Sex, drugs and rock and roll," is the lure, with high school dial-a-dopers and gang-wannabes treated to lavish parties at downtown penthouses and mountain retreats as reward for good criminal behaviour.

In contract, Erickson's group represents a wide cross-section of community organisations, including the YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Native Counselling Services of Alberta – less than attractive as alternatives to the MTV lifestyle offered by gangs.

While perhaps afraid to talk to police, the average Edmonton Sun reader didn't hesitate when answering an online poll.

The one-day voluntary poll allowed only one response per computer.

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