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[TheOMan]

Man, alot of people (not all) - especially the younger generation are becoming crazier and crazier

http://winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/local/story/2449028p-2836540c.html

'Terrorists' on the streets
Outrage grows in city as car thieves' antics create havoc

Tue Dec 28 2004

By Bruce Owen
YOUNG car thieves in Winnipeg caused more than $100,000 in damage in the past two days, sending a speeding stolen car through the bedroom window of a south River Heights apartment block yesterday, and vandalizing 56 cars in a North Kildonan parkade on Boxing Day.

Police and property owners said the wanton destruction is a sign law enforcement has lost its grip on young offenders, many of whom can't be charged because they're 12 years old or younger.

"These guys are basically terrorists," said the manager of Royal Realty, the company that runs the Taylor Avenue block where the stolen car was intentionally crashed.

"They could've killed somebody. This is simply not vandalism. This is putting people's lives at risk."

The manager said he didn't want his name published for fear of retribution.

He added the company is considering a $3,000 reward for information that will lead to the conviction of those responsible for the crash.
It happened at about 3 a.m. when a driverless silver Chevrolet Impala was launched about a block away down the east backlane of Beaverbrook Street.

Police and witnesses said the thieves, in two cars, jammed an ice block on the gas pedal of the Impala, shoved it into drive and then watched it careen south down the backlane towards Taylor Avenue at about 70 km/h.

At Taylor, it sped across the two westbound lanes and hit the centre boulevard median, sending it flying across the eastbound lanes of traffic and bouncing over the front lawn and through a bedroom window of a ground-floor apartment of The Taylor Heights Manor.

Shayne, a 22-year-old tenant, said yesterday he was in the bathroom of the suite when the car crashed through, its front end landing on his roommate's bed. His roommate was away for the holidays.

"The car was right on top of his bed," Shayne said (He did not want his last name published). "If he was in his room he would've been toast."

He also said the car broke through an interior wall into the kitchen, sending plaster and smashed wood flying throughout the two-bedroom suite.
"With the noise it made it could've only been one thing," he said. "Three-quarters of the car were inside the room. I called 911 and waited about three minutes for police to come."

Damage is estimated at $50,000.

Witnesses said car thieves also targeted a home in nearby Linden Woods using the same tactic, but police could not confirm that. No one has been caught.

It's believed the thieves watched their handiwork and fled in the second stolen car.

More than a week ago thieves sent four stolen cars soaring onto the ice of the Assiniboine River by wedging the gas pedals. No one has been charged.

A day earlier, police said, one or two people vandalized more than 50 cars in an underground parkade at 60 Whellams Lane.

Police Duty Insp. Bob Irwin said the culprits dumped a stolen car nearby and then forced open an overhead door to the parkade. Between 2:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., they went from car to car breaking windows, spray-painting them and attacking several ignitions. They eventually stole a vehicle and fled.

Irwin said other than the car, nothing else was stolen.

"It appears to be pretty much vandalism," he said. Damage is estimated at $60,000.
The spate of thefts comes as Winnipeg is expected to hit 9,000 cars stolen this year, one of the worst years ever.

In Winnipeg, 75 per cent of stolen cars are being driven by males under 20 years of age. Of those, 60 per cent are under 16. Most cars stolen in Winnipeg are used for joyriding, and most are later recovered.

In the past few weeks, city police have arrested more than 150 people for stealing cars, resulting in about 280 charges being laid.

This is in a city of <1 million people - which has also had 33 or 34 murders this year (I think our most ever, but I'm sure we'll try to squeeze a few more in). The Hell's Angels have made this city a profitable place for organized crime and it's only going to get worse.

So tell me, do you live in a crime ridden city? Been in any close calls?

I hear Oakland is pretty hardcore, but keep in mind, it's a bit of a sliding scale, since this is a *Canadian* city, we're usually polite, even when we steal, kill, and maim.

How many murders in Toronto this year? I'm curious to know if Winnipeg is ahead.

 

[Socreges]

I'd be pretty angry and reckless if I lived in Winnipeg, too.

 

[COCKLES]

We know who to blame.

 

[fennec fox]

33 murders? Oh noooooooo (recalls Philadelphia's 350 murders in 2003, about a quarter of the figure for the entire country of Japan)

 

[Socreges]

33 murders? Oh noooooooo (recalls Philadelphia's 350 murders in 2003)

Yeah, but you guys have guns. Canadians have to do their killing with baseball bats and plastic knives.

 

[Fifty]

I'd be pretty angry and reckless if I lived in Winnipeg, too.

Winnipeg's not that bad. Brandon on the other hand....

 

[Triumph]

Go Hotlanta! Represent crime!

 

[calder]

I'd reply, but I'm too busy burning down the tenement next door.

 

[Gantz]

You need to move to the Philly/Camden area to experience the real crime :lol

 

[TheOMan]

33 murders? Oh noooooooo (recalls Philadelphia's 350 murders in 2003, about a quarter of the figure for the entire country of Japan)

THREE HUNDRED and FIFTY???

What the hell???!?! How many people in Philly?

Yeah, but you guys have guns. Canadians have to do their killing with baseball bats and plastic knives.

Exactly, making our crime more hardcore - every year it's something different here. One year I think we had 40+ arsons because it was the "cool thing to do".

So what, there's no crime in Toronto?? None in Edmonton?

Winnipeg's not that bad. Brandon on the other hand....

Brandon? Come on now, there's nothing of value in Brandon I just can't see Brandon being *worse* than Winnipeg. I've been there many times, walked around late at night (downtown) and never been bothered.

Walking around downtown Winnipeg will get you killed if it's not -40 Celsius...well if not killed, you'll probably hear somebody get smoked.

 

[Loki]

THREE HUNDRED and FIFTY???

What the hell???!?! How many people in Philly?

You're freaking out over 350 murders? :lol NYC has had around 600 per year for the past several years, which is WAY down from the 1993 high of 2400 homicides in one year (credit for the reduction largely goes to Rudy Giuliani and the NYPD). I wonder if you would've even left your house if you were in NY at the time, OMan.

 

[TheOMan]

You're freaking out over 350 murders? :lol NYC has had around 600 per year for the past several years, which is WAY down from the 1993 high of 2400 homicides in one year (credit for the reduction largely goes to Rudy Giuliani and the NYPD). I wonder if you would've even left your house if you were in NY at the time, OMan.

2400???!!! That is *crazy*, however, how many people in New York? I want to put some percentage/per capita measurements on these numbers to put them in perspective.

Man, if I were in NY at the time, I'd still leave my home , but it is saddening and disheartening.

Hmmm, now that I think about it, I'd try to avoid the cops as they seemed to be rather agressive (killing that guy in his own lobby and shooting him 41 times) *and* problem areas.

I guess we're a little sheltered up here. Although I was in Chicago earlier this year and it seemed like a nice enough place, even the downtown area.

 

[Loki]

2400???!!! That is *crazy*, however, how many people in New York? I want to put some percentage/per capita measurements on these numbers to put them in perspective.

There are roughly 8 million people in NY (this includes Manhattan and the other 4 boroughs-- Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx). Philadelphia, from what I can gather, has roughly 6.2 million people in its "metro area" (analogous to the 5 boroughs of NY, I would imagine).


Someone correct me if I'm mistaken...

 

[pjberri]

"These guys are basically terrorists," said the manager of Royal Realty, "I put a jihad on them, and if you don't like it, I put a jihad on you too."

 

[Nightbreeze]

Well if we're counting murder in a per capita basis, then where I'm from, Thompson Manitoba is susposed to be like the highest in Canada. So I'm told anyway.

For a city of 15,000 people this city has more crime and homeless people that I would have ever imagined.


EDIT - Fun fact, Thompson has more people with aids and other std's then in all of Winnipeg. Yep I live in a great place.

 

[TheOMan]

People suck :/

Teen faces 59 charges
13-year-old arrested in connection with Boxing Day car vandalism spree

Fri Dec 31 2004

By Bruce Owen
A 13-year-old girl was arrested Wednesday in connection with a Boxing Day car vandalism spree, one of the worst ever seen in Winnipeg, and now faces 59 charges, including mischief, attempted theft and break and enter.

Const. Bob Johnson said yesterday she was later released into the custody of her parents on a promise to appear in court at a later date.

Johnson said investigators are looking for three other youths they believe are responsible for vandalizing 50 cars -- they tried to steal seven of them -- at an underground apartment block parkade at 60-70 Whellams Lane in North Kildonan.

Police believe the youths drove a stolen vehicle to the block, on the southeast side of the Chief Peguis Trail, and pried open an overhead door to the parking garage.

Between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., the culprits went from car to car, breaking windows, attacking ignitions and on some cars, writing North Side Deuce in felt pen.

The North Side Deuce is believed to be a street gang from the city's North End.
The youths drove away after hot-wiring a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero.

Residents at the block said yesterday they were happy police are close to solving the case, but they wondered what penalties the suspects will face.

"People go through all this aggravation with their cars and police go through all this trouble and then the law lets them go," Harold Granke said. "This is a scary thing for a lot of people."

Lorraine Rozmus, who owns the Oldsmobile Alero, said police called her Wednesday saying her car had been found abandoned on Manitoba Avenue.

"I just cried when I saw it," she said.
She said the car's ignition had been ripped out, the turn-signal lever broken off, all windows had been smashed out except the windshield, the rear-view mirror was snapped off, the tail lights were smashed and the interior was full of glass shards and splattered blood.

She said she didn't know how much it would cost to fix the vehicle.

"I just want to know what's going to happen to these kids," she said. "You've got to ask yourself why they weren't at home celebrating Christmas with their parents and grandparents."

Asked what penalties the youths faced under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), Johnson said he didn't know.

"Certainly, under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, not enough," he said.

The federal Liberal government enacted the YCJA in April 2003 to give more discretion to police and courts in dealing with young offenders so they don't get a criminal record.

Youths accused of non-violent crimes such as first instances of common assault, mischief, car theft, arson without risk to human life or breaking and entering are eligible to enter counselling programs rather than the justice system.

The intent is to hold young people accountable for their actions, then identify and deal with the reasons for their offending behaviour.

On sentencing, youths convicted of vandalism offences can be ordered to pay for the damage they caused.
Youths can also be sentenced to a period in custody not exceeding three years, but that depends on their criminal record and the seriousness of the offence. Generally, courts do not treat property crimes as seriously as violent crimes.

Never would have guessed it was a 13 year old girl. Although, I guess she did have help.

 

[The Faceless Master]

You're freaking out over 350 murders? :lol NYC has had around 600 per year for the past several years, which is WAY down from the 1993 high of 2400 homicides in one year (credit for the reduction largely goes to Rudy Giuliani and the NYPD). I wonder if you would've even left your house if you were in NY at the time, OMan.

yeah, credit the mayor for a reduction in crime... and he was also the 9/11 hero of the world too... america's mayor...

 

[fallout]

I used to live in Kenora, ON (about 2 hours east of the peg) and a buddy of mine use to live in the North End. Basically, he said that he was fine because he didn't stir up any shit with the Hell's Angels. They had some pretty bad arson attacks in the area.

Oh, and if you haven't heard this song ...

late afternoon another day is nearly done

a darker grey is breaking through a lighter one
a thousand sharpened elbows in the underground
that hollow hurried sound of feet on polished floor
and in the dollar store the clerk is closing up
and counting loonies trying not to say
i hate winnipeg

the driver checks the mirror seven minutes late
crowded riders' restlessness enunciates
the guess who suck, the jets were lousy anyway
the same mood every day
and in the turning lane
someone's stalled again
he's talking to himself
and hears the price of gas repeat his phrase
i hate winnipeg

up above us all,
leaning into sky
our golden business boy
will watch the north end die
and sing 'i love this town'
then let his arching wrecking ball proclaim:
"i...hate...winnipeg"

 

[TheQueen'sOwn]

Here in Ottawa it's pretty violent... I mean like... 10-15 murders.... craaaazy!

 

[Iceman]

(courtesy of www.city-data.com)

Where I am living now:

Crime in Madison, WI (2002):

* 3 murders (1.4 per 100,000)
* 90 rapes (42.6 per 100,000)
* 266 robberies (126.0 per 100,000)
* 396 assaults (187.6 per 100,000)
* 1,564 burglaries (741.0 per 100,000)
* 5,898 larceny counts (2794.5 per 100,000)
* 630 auto thefts (298.5 per 100,000)
* City-data.com crime index = 285.4 (higher means more crime, US average = 330.6)

Where I was living before:

Crime in El Cajon, CA (2002):

* 3 murders (3.1 per 100,000)
* 56 rapes (56.9 per 100,000)
* 125 robberies (127.1 per 100,000)
* 359 assaults (365.0 per 100,000)
* 785 burglaries (798.1 per 100,000)
* 2,556 larceny counts (2598.8 per 100,000)
* 892 auto thefts (906.9 per 100,000)
* City-data.com crime index = 382.9 (higher means more crime, US average = 330.6)

Amazingly comparable. The only things that stick out are the elevated amounts of assaults (2X per capita) and auto thefts in El Cajon. El Cajon is not the nicest part of San Diego, you know.

and here is a link to a ranking of America's safest and most dangerous cities:

Morgan Quitno Awards

 

[Bat]

My home town is the safest city in the country...eek...

 

[TheOMan]

(courtesy of www.city-data.com)

Where I am living now:

Crime in Madison, WI (2002):

* 3 murders (1.4 per 100,000)
* 90 rapes (42.6 per 100,000)
* 266 robberies (126.0 per 100,000)
* 396 assaults (187.6 per 100,000)
* 1,564 burglaries (741.0 per 100,000)
* 5,898 larceny counts (2794.5 per 100,000)
* 630 auto thefts (298.5 per 100,000)
* City-data.com crime index = 285.4 (higher means more crime, US average = 330.6)

Where I was living before:

Crime in El Cajon, CA (2002):

* 3 murders (3.1 per 100,000)
* 56 rapes (56.9 per 100,000)
* 125 robberies (127.1 per 100,000)
* 359 assaults (365.0 per 100,000)
* 785 burglaries (798.1 per 100,000)
* 2,556 larceny counts (2598.8 per 100,000)
* 892 auto thefts (906.9 per 100,000)
* City-data.com crime index = 382.9 (higher means more crime, US average = 330.6)

Amazingly comparable. The only things that stick out are the elevated amounts of assaults (2X per capita) and auto thefts in El Cajon. El Cajon is not the nicest part of San Diego, you know.

and here is a link to a ranking of America's safest and most dangerous cities:

Morgan Quitno Awards

Wow, that's pretty interesting - I've just looked for a site similar to city-data.com for Canadian cities and unfortunately haven't found anything comparable.

 

[Suranga3]

So what, there's no crime in Toronto?? None in Edmonton?

Edmonton this past year came one short of its record for homicides of 18, which was set in 1992.

 

[Azih]

Toronto, 2.5 million had around 60 homicides this year, very near the record of 64, we had a very bad December.

 

[Lil' Dice]

Yeah, but you guys have guns. Canadians have to do their killing with baseball bats and plastic knives.

There's no gun control in Canada AFAIK....

 

[Joe]

a NYC cabbie hasnt been killed while driving a cab in almost 2 years.

nyc has changed, most of the credit goes to rudy.

 

[KiNeSiS]

I got 100 guns 100 clips and I'm from New Yoooork!!!!!

 

[Joe]

I'm sitting in the house loading up the pump, I'm loading up the Uzis, I've got a couple of M-16s, couple of nines, couple of joints with some silencers on them, couple of grenades, got a missile launcher. I'm ready for war.