Does Greater Sudbury have a problem with street gangs? Not yet, but the warning signs show they are coming.

That’s the message Greater Sudbury Police Inspector Bob Keetch, and Anna Maria Barsanti, a former high school principal, are trying to send out to the community.

The pair lead the Provincial Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (PAVIS) project, which aims to deter street gangs from taking root in Greater Sudbury.

According to Keetch, police first noticed an increasing trend of out-of-town drug dealers making stops in Greater Sudbury to sell their wares. Through communication with other police departments in Ontario, Greater Sudbury Police were able to identify these dealers as belonging to street gangs — the vast majority who came from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

“It’s a disturbing trend,” Keetch said, explaining that the drug dealers found Greater Sudbury to be an easier market for their wares because of the lack of anti-gang police initiatives, and lack of organized rivals.

“We’re being proactive, and trying to engage in mobilizing the community prior to them becoming established.”

The Greater Sudbury Police Service’s Gangs and Guns Task Force (GGTF) was created in 2008 as a result from the approval of the PAVIS application. A year later, in December 2008, the first major results from the GGTF were released.

Through the efforts of the GGTF, 166 people were charged with Criminal Code and Controlled Drug and Substance Act (CDSA) charges, 30 individuals were arrested on outstanding warrants, 213 Criminal Code charges and 342 CDSA charges were laid, three restricted weapons and one stolen firearm were seized.

In addition, $236,260 in currency — allegedly gained through illegal activities — was recovered. As well, 1,558 grams of cocaine, 598 grams of crack cocaine, 1,840 Oxycontin pills, and 7,342 grams of marijuana were seized.

Twelve of the people arrested as part of this sting were members of street gangs, mostly operating out of the GTA.

The enforcement was only the first step in the PAVIS plan, however.

“In a sense, we’ve (sent a message) from an enforcement standpoint, saying ‘there are risks in coming to our community and committing illegal activity,’ to try (to) decrease the likelihood of (gangs) coming,” Keetch said.

“It’s also important we provide youths with alternative choices. Generally, those alternative choices don’t come from the police department, they come from our community partners and social partners. It’s about engaging them.”

As part of this second phase of initiative, the police are holding two public presentations on street gangs, called “Gangs Are Here - A Community Action Plan.”

The first is on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. at Sheridan Auditorium at Sudbury Secondary School. It is free, and will feature guest speaker Ron “Cook” Barrett, a street-gang specialist from the Albany Police Department from New York. He started the Capital Region Gang Prevention Program and Gang Prevention Centre, and teaches police, educators and members of the public how to spot and counteract street gangs.

The second presentation is a full-day workshop at the Heritage Hall at the Caruso Club. There is a $25 registration fee to cover the cost of the provided lunch.

In addition to a longer talk by Barrett, Clayton Thomas-Muller, from Pukatawagan in northern Manitoba, a specialist in gang activity, will speak.

The workshop begins at 8 a.m. Feb. 25. The registration form can be downloaded here in PDF format.