Former ‘gangster wannabe’ tells parents to ask for help
Youth worker receives applause at packed public forum where police and politicians also appealed to community
A former “gangster wannabe” now working with at-risk kids told a crowded public forum in Surrey on Tuesday that parents should never be too ashamed to ask for help.
Jesse Sahota said when he was just 12 or 13, he sought acceptance by acting like a “tough guy” and hanging around with the wrong people.
But he turned his life around through the Surrey school district’s Wrap intervention program, he told more than 700 people at an anti-gang forum at Tamanawis secondary, the school from which he graduated in 2010.
“Now I provide the same services that were provided to me in 2005,” he said to applause.
Sahota joined Surrey residents, police officials and politicians at the forum, organized to discuss a rash of violence that has led to 22 shootings over the last six weeks.
On Sunday, 22-year-old Arun Bains — the nephew of SurreyNewton MLA Harry Bains — was shot to death in his car at 88A Avenue and 126th Street.
Sahota said he wanted to speak frankly with the crowd, many of whom were South Asian. While parents are victims of their kids’ destructive behaviour, they can also be enablers, he said.
“Every community has its issues and it’s time we acknowledged ours,” he said.
One of the teens he worked with told Sahota that his dad once said: “If you are going to be doing criminal activity, you might as well be making me some money.”
Sahota said another issue is that many families feel too embarrassed or ashamed to seek community resources to help their at-risk sons. Many in the crowd stood on their feet applauding after Sahota finished.
RCMP Chief Supt. Kevin Hackett, of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, said the wave of violence in Surrey is the anti-gang agency’s “top priority.” Even “hardened police officers” are affected by the violence, he said.
Police have said young drug traffickers primarily from the South Asian and Somali communities are engaged in a violent struggle that has led to public shootings.
Hackett said that while the community is understandably concerned, police will make arrests. He pointed to the 20082010 gang war between the Red Scorpions and United Nations gang.
“There was carnage in the street at that time and there were victims,” he said.
But police were able to convince some of those involved to testify against their “brothers,” leading to charges and convictions.
Hackett said his officers “are meeting the individuals that we believe are responsible.”
Surrey’s top cop, Chief Supt. Bill Fordy, challenged the community to help police as much as possible.
“The violence playing out on our streets keeps me up at night. I have asked myself are you doing enough,” Fordy said.
He said police can and will do more.
“I ask you — all of you — if you can do more.”
Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner said police are doing all they can.
“You the community are a key part of the solution,” Hepner said.
She said those involved have to get the message that their behaviour is unacceptable.
“It pains me that a life has been lost amid this senseless violence. And it has to stop,” she said.
Several MLAs were in attendance but Harry Bains was not among them.
His family issued a statement about the loss of Arun Bains, calling him “the heart of our family” and neither a criminal nor a gang member.
“As you can appreciate, our family is still grieving our loss,” the statement said.
“This is an extraordinarily painful time. Arun was the heart of our family. We are still trying to accept the reality that our son, brother, cousin, and nephew is gone,” it said.
“Arun was not a criminal. He was not a gang member. He was loved by everyone who knew him.
“Arun was a fine young man who loved his family and had a bright future ahead of him.”