Claude Berger

On a more positive note, this is one someone from Quebec sent me. It's about a Hells Angel with talent. Well, former Hells Angel named Claude Berger.

My French needs help but it would appear that in 2002 he was arrested for threatening a judge. As a result he was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

He was a former trumpet player with the Quebec Symphony and a former professor of music at Sherbrooke College. He claims that since 2002 he has no longer been with the Hells Agnels. Now he's a street musician and sells his own CD's. He does a great Louis Armstrong.



He is very talented. I respect that. Someone asked me if there was such a thing as a former Hells Angel. Implying that if you leave the group they will kill you. I don't know the answer to that question. I hope so. If the Hells Angels want to improve their image they have to start letting people go. Salut Claude. Tout le meilleur.

Kelowna Weasel

Here's another strange one. Here's a guy in Kelowna named Sylvain Laroche (Buk) who claims to be a member of the Hells Angels. He's from Quebec but claims to be from the Scarborough chapter and has a plaque from them.

He was convicted of impaired driving when he crashed his Harley in September of 2006. That wasn't his first conviction of impaired driving. Well get this, take a look at the logo on the shirt he's wearing. It's Weasels USA. I'm told he claims that's a puppet club for the Hells Angels International yet I find that hard to believe.



They claim to be a drinking club with a motorcycle problem. Take a look at the Weasels' motto called Hymn 69. Bragging about that is really bizarre. Sylvain is from Quebec. The French are known for being passionate lovers not rude pigs. What happened?

Get this. Kai Raecke wrote their bylaws in 1996. Kai Raecke is on the advisory Council for the Las Vegas 2010 BikeFest. He's listed as the Associate Editor for Easyriders Magazine. Easyriders? That's huge.



Nevertheless, it appears pretty clear that the Weasels aren't an MC they're just a drinking club. Apparently they've even been given a hard time from other MCs. It's kind of bizarre how a group of guys aren't allowed to make a t-shirt and form a club without having to approve everything through the Hells Angels or some other OMG.

I am told the Weasels formed a club in response to the group of rich motorcyclists who call themselves the Hamsters. Peace.

More Hells Angels speeding recklessly

Speeding is one thing, reckless driving is another. When I saw this new video I thought they were just replaying the last one and we just didn't hear that one of the bikes crashed. Not so. It appears that this is yet another video of two Hells Angels speeding excessively and driving recklessly a couple weeks after the last video was made public.

This is really bizarre. Motorcycle awareness is all about driving responsibly. It's not about driving like a crazed teenager on drugs. This kind of behavior gives all motorcyclists a bad rep not just Hells Angels. Running stop lights, driving on the wrong side of the road against traffic. It's no wonder one of the guys ended up crashing his bike.

It's like the idiot who died in Nanaimo. A young driver was changing lanes and didn't see a biker in his blind spot. When he did see the bike he stopped his lane change and returned to his lane. The biker pulled up beside him and started scowling at the young driver, missed a turn in the road and killed not only himself but his passenger as well. Absolutely senseless.

It is unwise for a car or a motorcycle to cruise in someone's blind spot. Now we have Hells Angels driving like maniacs still playing the victim and cry about the media picking on them. CBC, the Vancouver Province and the Burnaby Now failed to mention the fact that the second video was of Hells Angels. That's bizarre. And of course it's obvious I have mental problems because I do mention the fact that they are Hells Angels. Whatever.

Another motorcyclist was caught on camera driving recklessly and crashing in Abbotsford. Driving recklessly is irresponsible. Oh and here's another one:

Three grown men on motorcycles terrorize a female paralympian in Nanaimo. No charges were laid. These dirt bags are out of control. The woman was not in the wrong. She was behind one motorcycle and she was distracted by two other motorcycles that came roaring up behind her. She realized she was a bit too close to the motorcycle in front of her so she put on her brakes. Putting on your brakes is not reckless driving. Doing what these idiots did is. They should be charged with uttering threats and reckless driving. Not to do so is shameful.

East Vancouver Harm Reduction

A blog reader posted a few links in the comment section and I wanted to discuss and link to them directly. It's another look at harm reduction. It's a look inside ourselves that forces us to ask ourselves what are we and what do we endorse?

Vancouver's Drug Nightmare

HARM REDUCTION GONE BAD

the Harsh Reality of Drug Addiction

East Vancouver Darkness - Lisa

methadone heroin interviews

Looking at the videos is a glimpse inside the Downtown East side. I say glimpse because most there don't like cameras or to be photographed. Yet all one needs to do is to walk downtown with a camera on welfare night stepping over all the bodies on the ground to realize something isn't working. This knowledge begs for social justice.

Each addict has a story. Many have experienced horrible events and use drugs to escape those haunting memories for temporary relief which in turns compounds the problems and the misery. Looking at the situation, one is filled with compassion for the addict. Beat cops are essential yet the hunter looking for prey attitude isn't the right one unless it's directed at the drug dealers not the addicts.

The dealers are the ones profiting from the misery. They are the ones pushing women out of windows for drug debts. If a beat cop is a hunter looking for prey surely the hunt isn't a long one. Install cameras outside Carnage centre and arrest all the drug dealers. Don't beat the addicts. They have been beaten enough.

I remember the memorial of a Canadian solder from Edmonton who died serving in Afghanistan. His name was William Turner. They said he was the kind of guy who would say "Hi my name is Bill. I'm here to help." That is the kind of soldier we need walking the beat in East Van. One who doesn't kick the cat and arrests dealers.

Captain Trevor Greene was wounded in Afghanistan and has a moving recovery story. Some criticize him of being naive for removing his helmet and speaking with the elders. I say not. I just think he should of had one of his fellow soldiers watching his back while he spoke with the elders. He was attacked from behind with an axe.

He wrote a book about the missing women in East Van before he went to Afghanistan called Bad Date, The Lost Girls of Vancouver's Low Track. Harm reduction needs to change. Inspector John McKay is a good man. Follow him.

Through a Blue Lens

Tears for April

Stolen Lives

Laura Szendrei's Father

I was going to write about the Laura Szendrei murder even though it had nothing to do with organized crime because it was so outrageous. A pretty young girl beaten to death in broad daylight for no reason. No enemies. No sexual assault. No sense.

Then we heard that Hells Angels showed up at the funeral in coulours and were caught on video racing through traffic in colours at high speeds. Whenever the Hells Angels do anything with colours on it raises red flags. No different than if the UN, Red Scorpions or Independent Soldiers were to attend a funeral in their gang colours.

Then we hear that not only does the father happen to have a few friends who are Hells Angels, he was photographed posing in East Van support gear. We all know that when people pose with Hells Angels or Hells Angels support gear on facebook, it has real meaning in the world of organized crime.

Now this picture is innocent enough. He's posing with his daughter for a photo with a few of her friends and happens to be wearing support gear. However, someone sent the Vancouver Province a photo which they posted in their printed edition, not on the web site which was very different.

In that photo he was standing above his daughter and some of her friends who were sitting at a table. He was clearly posing and showing off his support gear as he was scowling at the camera trying to look mean. It was somewhat bizarre. Why on earth would a grown man idolize an organized crime group and brag about it to a group of young girls. Strange indeed.

I can understand some of the outrage the vocal pr reps for the Hells Angels have expressed over speculation over their involvement in the murder. However, they have to accept responsibility for what the group they support does and the knee jerk reaction that group creates within the public whenever they parade around in colours trying to intimidate people.

If you want to go to a funeral to support a friend's loss then feel free. But don't wear gang colours at the funeral. That is disrespectful. Gangs do that as a sign of support implying that their gang will retaliate which in turn implies that the motive for the funeral was gang related.

Now I will admit, notwithstanding the Hells Angels presence at the funeral and the father posing in support gear, I think it is unlikely the Hells Angels were responsible for her murder. I think it's more likely they were trying to send a message to her murderer. Although I say unlikely, it's still very strange.

Did Hells Angels show up at Juel Stanton's funeral? I know they showed up at a UN funeral where they were accused of hiring someone to commit the murder. The Hells Angels are such compulsive liars it's hard to know what the truth is even on the rare occasion they may be telling it.

The bottom line is that this murder is yet another local tragedy. Losing a child to murder is horrible. Someone knows something. If you know anything about Laura Szendrei’s murder, Geoff Meisner’s murder or Lindsay Buziak’s murder, please contact the police or call Crimestoppers at 1 800 222-8477.

Suspect arrested in Laura Szendrei's murder

Newspaperman assaulted by police trial

Well we've heard the story. Three drunk off duty police officers attacked a newspaper deliveryman in Vancouver and assaulted him. Now the case is coming to trial.

I was initially concerned the Delta cop wasn't charged at all when all along the claim was all three police officers beat him. The cab driver confirmed the two cops he gave a ride to jumped out of his cab and helped the other off duty cop on scene beat down the man who pleaded for them to stop.

This is the kind of thing that tarnishes the police and weakens public trust.

100 Kg of Cocaine seized in Kelowna

Well police announced at the press conference they seized 100 kg of cocaine in Kelowna. Indeed that's more than the 9 kg seized from David Giles and his associates and the 52 kg in Glen Hehn's storage locker but not as much as the 275 kg recently seized in Vancouver or the 2 1/2 tons from a boat bound for the Hells Angels. The 100 kg seizure is the largest in Kelowna. Just goes to show how large that 2 1/2 ton shipment was.

Two locals from West Kelowna were arrested and of course someone from Surrey had to be involved. I am a bit confused about the Mexican cartel connection though. On the news it said the cocaine came from Argentina and flew to Miami then to Vancouver. It would appear that it bypassed Mexico completely.

Although a Mexican was among those arrested, people from Argentina don't like to be called Mexicans. In fact no one in Latin America does. MS 13 were from El Salvador. Mexico think Argentina are snobs and Argentina think Mexican are second class citizens of Latin America. It's a shame really.

No word on what gang was bringing in the cocaine. Again. I find that odd. Drug busts in Victoria today too. Maybe CSIS is throwing the dog a few bones so Richard Barszczewski's contacts keep their job during contract negotiations.

Carol James' Leadership

Well there appears to be some minor rumblings over Carol James' leadership. That reminds me of when Gordon slime ball Campbell stole the party from Gordon Wilson. Gordon Wilson was the one who put the party on the map. Before the televised debate with him, Rita Johnston and Mike Harcourt, the BC liberals simply didn't exist.

During the debate Rita Johnston was insulting Harcourt's manhood while Harcourt just stood there with an American Express card and a BC Care Card. They were bickering back and forth while Gordon Wilson interjected "There you have it folks. Now you can all see first hand why we get absolutely nothing accomplished in Parliament." He was priceless. That debate put the liberal party on the map.

Then Gordon Wilson had an affair with one of his MPs Judi Tyabji and he lost the leadership of the party to which the evil opportunist Gordon Campbell jumped at. Gordon Wilson ended up marrying Judi Tyabji I might add. I thought he was way better than the drunk driver that replaced him.

Carol James is a trustworthy competent leader. I trust her more than I trust others in her party and a million times more that Gordon Campbell. I was disappointed she caved in to selfish belligerent members of her party over the pay raise. One git threatened to leave the party if she didn't cave in on supporting Campbell's second proposed pay raise and gold plated pension so she caved in to save the party. She should have given that guy the boot and voted against the pay raise and gold plated pension.

That's why I say I trust her more than the Gordon Campbell opportunists within her party. Bruce Ralston and Mike Farnworth are trustworthy but I think they support Carol. To me she epitomizes dignity and respect. Her mission is to restore dignity to the elderly and the oppressed and in so doing restore dignity to the disgraced province.

The same old stereotype is what scares people away from the NDP: the right claims the NDP will tax and spend us silly. Me thinks Gordon Campbell and Brian Mulroney did a fine job at that. It was refreshing to hear Bill Vandersalm speak at an anti HST rally in Vancouver. He spoke about the importance of education and other social programs and I shook my head and wondered if I was listening to the same Bill Vandersalm we had known.

Carol James spoke after him at the rally and thanked him for his support of the campaign against the HST and for his contribution to politics. She said he was the reason she got involved in politics when he started making dramatic cuts to education. I had a chuckle at that since I remember it well. The slogan from the teachers was "Stop Vanderlism."

When all is said and done, I'd be much more leery of endorsing a new opportunist leading the NDP in the next election. Carol James has earned the spot and has carried it with dignity and competence. She came to the Chris Mohan memorial mass in Surrey herself. Lets hope she retains the leadership bid in the party's leadership convention.

RCMP Contract up for Renewal in BC

I'm thrilled with the news of the recent large drug busts in Vancouver and Kelowna although I am skeptical about the timing. Large drug busts during contract negotiations with no known connection to local gangs. Suspicious.

Kash Heed is worried about RCMP accountability. Well isn't that ironic? What about his own accountability? Personally I don't see a Regional police force as the divine solution to all our problems. VPD and Delta PD have the same accountability problems the RCMP has.

Public accountability is the change that needs to be made not creating a new police force with no public accountability whatsoever.

Any policing changes coming from the Campbell government are suspect. They are the oxymoron of public accountability. Drunk driving charges now after two drinks instead of three? Brought in by a drunk driver himself who is railroading the HST against the democratic will of the people just like Brian Mulroney did with the GST?

Impound your vehicle for a week for speeding 40 k? Just because we have a provincial police force doesn’t mean it will be more publicly accountable. Not with the crooks we currently have in office.

The premier with the lowest approval rating in the country shouldn't be making any sweeping changes to anything other than himself. Kash Heed waving like some kind of hero standing next to Gordon Campbell while embroiled in his own scandal is somewhat bizarre. The RCMP has a noble history worth preserving. Only William Elliott in not the man to do it.

Kelowna Drug Bust tied to Mexico

Police announce they will reveal details about a large drug bust in Kelonwa tomorrow at a press conference which they say is tied to the Mexican cartel. Come on guys. We know the cocaine comes through Mexico but who was bringing it into the country? We all know who controls the drug trade in that retirement village.