The recent shocking escalation in violent crime in quiet residential areas of the capital city has been linked by RNC to a drug war, and it has many people wondering how well established organized crime is in the province. The Constabulary has indicated the notorious Hells Angels may have played a role. A car was firebombed on Hamilton Avenue on the weekend, causing extensive damage to two homes, while a house was sprayed with bullets shot from an assault rifle during a drive-by shooting in Kenmount Terrace a short time later. There were no injuries. RNC Police Chief Bob Johnston told reporters the two crimes are linked and indicated it's part of an ongoing drug war involving the Hells Angels. Julian Sher, an investigative reporter with the Toronto Star who has written a number of books on the Hells Angels, says they like to paint themselves as 'loveable rascals' when in fact, they have been identified as an organized criminal gang involved in many violent activities.
He says it's been shown that many of its members have been charged and convicted of crimes including murder, extortion and drugs. He adds that not all members are involved in crime.
Sher says the Hells Angels is a very small group, with just 2,500 members world-wide. He says Canada has some of the highest concentration of members.
He says Canada is home to 1 in 5 members of the gang, with about 450 members identified by police. So far, he says, the group has not been able to establish a club in Newfoundland.
Sher says becoming a Hells Angel is not always easy.
He says you have to apply and know people in the club. New members usually hang around for a few years, getting to know people during a probationary period as a prospect. Once accepted, you become a 'full-patch' member. He says each chapter must have at least six members. Interestingly, Sher says, some chapters are 'frozen' because their numbers have been depleted by arrests.
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