Shooting highlights police understaffing: union boss
Calgary’s police union boss says a downtown shooting Wednesday night shows the effect of police understaffing when it comes to combating violent crime.
Police are investigating after gunshots rang out in the 1000 block of 17th Avenue S.W. around 9:40 p.m.
Alberta Health Services say two men in their 30s were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds, adding they were both in stable condition.
Witnesses say they heard between three and five shots before suspects fled the scene on foot.
“All I saw were people running,” said one woman, who declined to give her name.
Derek Boe, who works in the area, said he heard five shots before seeing three people running away. Boe then saw them yell to a vehicle, which sped around the corner to pick them up before fleeing the scene.
Mike Nunn, communications manager with the police service, said the shooting investigation is still underway and police “have not been able to determine motive or if the shooting was targeted.”
But Les Kaminski, president of the Calgary Police Association and former member of the gang suppression team, told Postmedia the incident is an example of the effect reduced funding to the gang unit is having in Calgary.
“We warned them violent crime and gang activity would increase because of this. Unfortunately, we’re right,” Kaminski said in a statement.
Kaminski also doubled down on comments made in September calling for the resignation of police commission chair Brian Thiessen, pointing to a police commission survey released in July showing “violent crime and gang activity ” are major concerns for Calgarians.
Nunn said the gang unit has been working at reduced staff levels for at least six years, but added the service is looking to fill at least one additional position on the team.
“Like other units in the service, they are not currently at full operational strength, but we are working hard to address needs here and throughout the organization,” he said.
Police continue to investigate the shooting and ask witnesses to contact the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.