Abbotsford police warn of teenage gangster
He’s still in his teens, but Varinderpal Singh Gill is a marked man.
On Wednesday, Abbotsford police took the extraordinary step of issuing a public warning about the 19-year-old.
Gill, who usually goes by VP, is involved in the gang conflict in Abbotsford and area, said police.
Police are worried bystanders could be casualties if violence flares up between rival groups.
“We know gang shootings occur in public, and we believe Mr. Gill’s presence poses a serious risk to the public,” said Sgt. Judy Bird.
“We may have citizens getting caught in the crossfires of gang violence. That is completely unacceptable.”
Police did not identify which gang Gill is affiliated with, but said he has issued threats against other gang members and he has been threatened. He has no criminal record.
Despite the threats to his life, Gill has been unco-operative and has continued to associate with gang members, police allege. Police have also reached out to his family, but that has failed to deter Gill.
Varinderpal “VP” Singh Gill has family in Abbotsford, frequents neighbouring cities including Langley and Surrey, and also goes to other parts of the Lower Mainland, said Bird.
He does not have an automobile registered in his name. He is described as tall and slim, six foot two and about 165 pounds.
Police are asking people who see Gill in a public place in the Lower Mainland to call 911. “If he goes to a gym, a park, a rec centre, restaurant or bar, call us,” said Bird. “His behaviour is dangerous. We believe if he is out in public, he causes a public risk.”
Such public alerts are rare, but have been used during periods of heightened gang violence.
In 2009, two days after a public warning about the notorious Bacon Brothers, who have received death threats, one of their close associates Kevin LeClair was shot in a Langley parking lot. In 2011, Jonathan Bacon was gunned down in a daylight shooting outside a hotel in Kelowna. Four people in the vehicle with him were injured.
Simon Fraser University criminologist Rob Gordon said if police are taking the drastic step of alerting the public, they would have reasons for doing so, even if they do not disclose them.
“Usually what happens in these cases is that police will receive information, either from their own inquiries or from individuals who are wanting to alert police to gang activity, and if they think it’s a credible risk, they will do what they are doing.”
This is a huge infringement on a person’s rights. But the safety of our community supersedes the privacy of Mr. Gill.
Police have to balance the person’s privacy rights with public safety, which is tricky, said Gordon.
Bird said Abbotsford police did not issue the public warning lightly.
“This is a huge infringement on a person’s rights,” she said. “But the safety of our community supersedes the privacy of Mr. Gill.”