The provincial government is investing $3 million in helping police crack down on biker gangs.
The size and name of the existing Provincial Special Squad, formed in June 1998 and made up of representatives form 17 municipal police services, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is changing. The squad will now be called The Biker Enforcement Unit (BEU).
The BEU will be based out police headquarters in Orillia The ministry cites 2002 statistics on biker gang crimes being comprised of 715 occurrences investigated; 34 individual members and 76 associate members charged; 357 Criminal Code charges laid (including 145 drug related, 22 violence charges, 94 weapons related, 4 sex related and 92 other Criminal Code charges); $3.8 million in narcotics seized; 55 search warrants executive; and about $103,000 in cash and property recovered.
