Gang violence incidents have decreased after the recent arrests of two men affiliated with a known crime group, Vancouver police said Thursday.
Amandeep Manj and Christopher Barr, who police allege are members of the Manj group, were charged with a total of 31 counts — most of which are firearms-related.
Deputy Chief Const. Doug LePard said the work of Project Rebellion, which targets the most violent gang members in the city, has reduced the number of gang-related incidents in Vancouver.
“We made a big dent into the Manj group,” said Insp. Mike Porteous. “We will continue to target these criminals, and I expect that we will be before you in the near future to tell you of more successes.”
Project Rebellion has also seen a decrease in shootings after the arrest of the entire Sanghera group, rivals of the Manj group, earlier this year.
Porteous said shooting incidents involving the Sanghera group went from approximately 50 over the last three years to zero.
However, LePard said they will not be content with their recent success and gang violence remains a “plague on our city.”
“If you’re a violent gangster in Vancouver, you are going to be targeted,” said Porteous.
