Calgary Gangs and the Justice System

By Megan Eichhorn

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On October 9, 2009, the Calgary Sun’s Nadia Moharib reported that suspected gang member Alex Soza was arrested by the Fugitive Apprehension Detail at a high-risk traffic stop.

Sgt. Tony Manning said that Soza was not disguised but was hiding from police due to a drug-related shooting in Lethbridge that has led to multiple assault and robbery charges. The shooting was in February of this year and Soza was arrested and charged about a month later.

Calgary’s Fugitive Apprehension Detail unit has been at work for about a year-and-a-half, during which they have caught many of criminals. The unit seeks criminals who are dangerous, avoiding the police and have an active warrant.

Moharib’s article did not use specific statistics, but rather generalized the number of people arrested by the Fugitive Apprehension Details unit. She quoted Manning, who could be considered an expert since he is a police sergeant.

Although most of the article is about Soza, the conclusion is about the success of the unit. Again, the media is supporting the police force in Calgary and emphasizing facts that suggest they are doing a good job. Thus, Soza’s story is being shown as an example of this success.

Clearly, the media is in favour of the police. There seems to be a tendency towards reports on gang-related incidents and how the city is addressing and solving the issue, but there is not much about the difficulties they are having. It is likely that more articles promoting their successes and advocating for more officers will be written.

References
Moharib, N. (2009, October 9). Police collar suspected gang fugitive. Calgary Sun. Retrieved October 19, 2009, from http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/10/09/11352571-sun.htm