A new Surrey RCMP video aims to illustrate the impact of gang violence in a way that police are hoping will keep youth out of gangs.
This video is a part of the Surrey RCMP’s “Shattering the Image” presentation, which is given in Surrey schools, to athletic associations and to parents.
Surrey RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards describes the video as “hard-hitting and gritty.”
“But we think that’s the message that we need to ensure our kids stay safe in our community.”
The new video is being shown for the first time Thursday (Jan. 11) to a grade six class in a Surrey elementary school.
Staff Sgt. Rob Angco said there is an illusion that there is a lot of “gain in the gang culture,” such as getting rich and driving expensive cars.
“The reality is, I’ve learned, that very few people reach those marks,” Angco said. “The greater reality is people always feel like they are in debt.”
The Shattering the Image program was created in 2018 and has been shown more than 500 times to 10,000 youth. Newer versions of the video have been created over the years; this is the fifth version.
He noticed that some students were not resonating with older versions of the video and posed the question to him as a police officer: What does he know about living a gangster lifestyle?
The new 15-minute video features the stories of Eileen Mohan and Raminder (Mindy) Singh Bhander.
“To have Mindy’s perspective, as somebody who had lived that (gang) lifestyle, ultimately culminated in a homicide where he went to jail,” Element said. “And even just as importantly, the perspective of Eileen Mohan, who tragically lost her son in gangland violence, where he was a complete innocent victim.”
Their stories are “going to be able to bridge that gap and hopefully hit the kids that it’s not resonating with,” Element said.
Eileen Mohan’s son Christopher was one of six men shot dead in gang violence in a penthouse suite on the 15th floor of Whalley’s Balmoral Tower on Oct. 19, 2007. Mohan shared a suite with Christopher on that same floor and had she been home at the time, she likely would have shared his fate.
For his part, Bhander was found guilty in July 2010 of shooting 24-year-old Tejvir (Sunny) Bains to death. He was convicted of second-degree murder and served 12 years in prison.
“We hope that by listening to the stories of these individuals who were directly impacted by gang violence, our youths and community at large will have a better understating of what is at stake,” Element said.
A new @SurreyRCMP video aims to illustrate the impact of gang violence in a way that police are hoping will keep youth out of gangs. 🧵 1/4 pic.twitter.com/Qo3BjUUs6h
— Surrey Now-Leader (@SurreyNowLeader) January 11, 2024
This presentation is shown to students in grades six through 12.
With children of his own, Element understands how hard parenting is, but he said parents must be mindful of what their kids are consuming. He encourages parents to be aware of who their kids are connecting with on social media and the type of content they view.
Social media “is one of the greatest assets” for recruiting people into gangs, Element said.
Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, along with Element, Staff Sgt. Rob Angco, Chief Supt. Shawn Gill, Mindy Bhander presented the new video to Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and council in a council-in-committee meeting on Dec. 18.
The RCMP owns the rights to the video, and if another police force wanted to use it, such as the Surrey Police Service, they would need to talk to them, Sgt. Tammy Lobb said.
If schools or organizations want to schedule a presentation contact SurreyShatteringTheImage Request@Rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
-With files from Tom Zytaruk