Gangs are regularly involved in criminal activities, which range from selling drugs to physical violence.
Because gangs engage in such a wide variety of criminal activity - and
because they operate throughout the entire city (not on a specific "turf")
- the Calgary Police Service has set up a centrally coordinated unit to
focus specifically on gangs and gang activity.
The Organized Crime Operations Center (OCOC) is an initiative that coordinates, focuses, and manages all investigations related to gangs.
From the moment the Calgary Police Service is notified of a gang-related incident the OCOC is contacted. The OCOC ensures the appropriate resources are allocated to the investigation. The OCOC also ensures that information is shared with other police investigators and field officers through the following strategies:
- Work with external partners such as the Municipal Police Services throughout Canada, the RCMP, Calgary Transit, Provincial Corrections, the Correctional Service of Canada and the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada and its provincial member agencies. As necessary, the Service also works with international contacts, including Interpol, the FBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
- Joint Forces Initiatives, which are teams that have been assembled to share intelligence and work collaboratively on gang cases. These include the Integrated Response to Organized Crime (IROC), Integrated Drug Teams, the Southern Alberta Marijuana Investigative Team (SAMIT) and the Calgary Criminal Intelligence Unit (CCIU). All of these teams are staffed by both Calgary Police Service and RCMP members.
