Shots rang out in South Burnaby last night, less than five hours after the city’s top cop announced plans for a dedicated gang enforcement unit.
At about 9:30 p.m., police were called to the 4300 block of Carson Street just north of Riverway Park for reports of a shooting, according to Burnaby RCMP.
“It was called in by a resident in the area,” spokesperson Cpl. Brett Cunningham told the NOW.
Cunningham said the passenger of a red-orange coloured Toyota Tacoma had reportedly shot at a black SUV on the street.
Both vehicles then fled the scene.
One home was struck, according to Cunningham. It was occupied at the time, he said, but is not linked to the shooting.
No injuries have been reported.
Just a few hours earlier, at a meeting of the city’s public safety committee, Chief Supt. Deanne Burleigh had announced she was working to have a dedicated anti-gang team up and running by the fall.
Over the last year, some kinds of crime, such as property crime, have decreased in the city, she said, but incidents of violent crime have jumped.
“There have been shootings, attempted murders, carjackings, kidnappings, and we’ve seen a push for some of the gangs to come into Burnaby,” she said, “so what we’re going to do is reallocate resources within the detachment, and we will be launching a dedicated gang enforcement unit.”
Burnaby RCMP has already done a workshop outlining the plan with mayor and council, Burleigh said, and the unit would be staffed by the fall.
“We have run several pilots, and we are flagging all the files that have any nexus or association to gang activity, and that’s so that we can address the situation and police the situation before it becomes as it has become to the partners on either side of us, which is VPD and Surrey,” she said.
The shooting last night was the sixth in the city this year.
Police believe nearly all are related and linked to a similar spike in gang violence last July.
Police are asking anyone with information about the most recent shooting to contact Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.solvecrime.ca.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
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