Last week, members of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia’s (CFSEUBC) Uniform Gang Enforcement Team (UGET) were deployed to Prince George.
While the team was here, they seized a variety of drugs and weapons and witnessed a stabbing.
Last week, UGET worked in partnership with Mounties to ensure that the team was briefed on local crime hot spots and received up-to-date intelligence to help direct their enforcement activities while in Prince George.
Over four days, 125 vehicles were stopped in the city and 165 people were checked, with the majority of those people connected to the street-level drug trade.
Of concern to overall public safety was the seizure of a loaded SKS rifle with ammunition found inside a vehicle, along with other items associated with criminal activity.
Also, while conducting targeted enforcement, members of the CFSEU-BC UGET team witnessed a stabbing.
Officers immediately intervened to stop the assault, called for medical assistance for the victim and apprehend the suspect.
Police say taking weapons off the street and out of the hands of those involved in the drug trade, as well as intervening in violent acts, was vital to the UGET violence and gang-related suppression efforts while in Prince George.
UGET members also seized one can of pepper spray, handcuffs, a loaded SKS semi-automatic rifle with ammunition, various other ammunition, knives of various types, including one with attached brass knuckles, a crossbow, one imitation handgun and one BB gun resembling a handgun.
Members also obtained small quantities of suspected cocaine, crystal meth and potentially deadly fentanyl.
“One of the core aspects of the overall CFSEU-BC enforcement strategy are the Uniform Gang Enforcement Teams (UGET),” says Sgt. Brenda Winpenny, CFSEU-BC Media Relations Officer in a news release.
“UGET represents the overt, tactical and specialized uniform presence of CFSEU-BC which will directly interact with individuals involved in organized criminal activity to help our agency deliver on our mandate. Providing UGET support to Prince George is a positive for the community and law enforcement.”
"We thank our partners from CFSEU-BC, UGET for their support and assistance in targeting members of violent organized crime groups in our community" says S/Sgt. Kent MacNeill, acting Operations Officer for the Prince George RCMP.
"The deployment was successful and without a doubt, sent a message to these groups that we do not tolerate violence. We intend to extend an invitation to this team again very soon."
UGET is based, and spends time, in lower mainland jurisdictions and members also regularly deploy to communities around the province, either proactively or reactively, to provide short term support to police agencies like the Prince George RCMP.
