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Community Perceptions of Indo-Canadian Gang Violence in the Lower Mainland

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Community Perceptions of Indo-Canadian Gang Violence in the Lower Mainland COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS OF INDO-CANADIAN GANG VIOLENCE IN THE LOWER MAINLAND By Neetu Kaloti (B.A., Simon Fraser University, 2004) Major Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS In the School of Criminology Neetu Kaloti University of the Fraser Valley 2009 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to the University of the Fraser Valley the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the University of the Fraser Valley Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to the University of the Fraser Valley to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection, and, without changing the content, to translate the thesis/project or extended essay, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose or preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Associate Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material and in the signed Partial Copyright Licence. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained by the University of the Fraser Valley Heritage Collection. University of the Fraser Valley Abbotsford, B.C. Abstract Over the past two decades, there have been approximately 100 murders attributed to Indo-Canadian gangs in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia; over 50% of these murders have occurred in public settings. The issue of Indo-Canadian gangs has received tremendous media attention. Community concerns have focused on the nature and extent of the recent gang violence and what should be done to respond and prevent it. Some observers have cautioned against overreacting to the involvement of Indo-Canadians, while others view it as a serious problem. Still others have debated whether the community should get involved or whether it is exclusively a police matter. Although limited studies have been conducted on Indo-Canadian gangs, even fewer have focused on what the Indo-Canadian community thinks about the issue. This study examined the perceptions of Indo-Canadians, how they viewed the issue, and what they felt should be done about it. In the present study, survey data from 157 Indo- Canadians residing in the Lower Mainland were examined. These finding cannot be generalized to the Indo-Canadian community at large due to a low response rate (13.6 per cent). Still, it was found that the overwhelming majority of respondents (87.2 per cent) felt gang violence was a problem in general and nearly two-thirds (61.7 per cent) felt that Indo-Canadian‟s were mostly responsible for the gang violence. Furthermore, family was viewed as most important in preventing gang violence, and a large majority of respondents (87.6 per cent) were willing to help address the issue of gang violence in their community. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that there is a division between perception and reality. Although Indo-Canadians engage in gang violence, the problem is ii often sensationalized in the media resulting in a variety of misconceptions. Indo- Canadian gang violence is not as entrenched or sophisticated compared to other crime groups in the Greater Vancouver Area. Therefore, gang violence is not just an Indo- Canadian issue, but rather a global issue affecting members of all ethnic groups. Ending gang violence requires a collaborated effort from various agencies and individuals. No one agency will be able to end gang violence on its own. iii Acknowledgments The completion of this major paper would not have been possible without the support and knowledge of various individuals. First and foremost, I am grateful to my senior supervisor, Dr. Irwin Cohen. Without Professor Cohen‟s insight, patience, guidance, knowledge, and support, I would not have been able to complete my paper. I would like to express sincere thanks to Dr. Darryl Plecas, for his motivation, encouragement and for believing in my topic. I would also like to thank all of the individuals who participated in the project. Without their contribution, the paper would not have been possible. I would like to express gratitude to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The survey was made possible by a grant from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police exclusively to cover the costs of printing, translating, and mailing out the questionnaire. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and friends, for their unconditional love and support. iv Dedication I would like to dedicate my paper to my grandfather, the late Jagdish Singh Sajjan, who taught me to never doubt my abilities and to pursue my dreams. My parents, Parduman and Kamlesh, whose love and dedication has made me the person I am today. My sister, Sonya, with out her support and devotion my education would not have been possible. To my baby brother, Shawn, thank you for always pushing me, and believing in me. I love you dearly. Lastly, to my best friend, Sanjay, thank you for putting up with me for all these years. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Literature Review .............................................................................................. 4 Background ..................................................................................................................... 4 Significance of Culture ................................................................................................... 7 Gangs, the Media, and Indo-Canadian Gang Violence................................................. 12 Explanations of Gang Formation .................................................................................. 18 Profile of Indo-Canadian Gangs ................................................................................... 25 Indo-Canadian Crime Statistics .................................................................................... 29 Responsibility of Gangs ................................................................................................ 31 Community Response to Indo-Canadian Youth Violence ............................................ 32 Government‟s Response to Gangs ................................................................................ 39 Summary of the Literature Review ............................................................................... 42 Chapter 2: Methodology ................................................................................................... 46 Research Questions and Hypotheses ............................................................................ 46 Research Design............................................................................................................ 46 The Sample ................................................................................................................... 47 Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 47 Data Collection ............................................................................................................. 47 Response Rate ............................................................................................................... 48 The Survey Instrument .................................................................................................. 48 Chapter 3: Results ............................................................................................................. 50 General Demographic Characteristics of the Sample ................................................... 50 Perceived Levels of Indo-Canadian Gang Violence ..................................................... 53 Responsibility ............................................................................................................... 58 Willingness to Address the Issue .................................................................................. 60 Chapter 4: Discussion ....................................................................................................... 62 Chapter 5: Conclusion....................................................................................................... 75 References ......................................................................................................................... 81 Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 92 vi LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: General demographics .......................................................................................
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