Well-planned gangland hits are making murders tougher to solve, says B.C.'s top cop.
"The gangs are very sophisticated," Solicitor-General John Les said yesterday. "They use up-to-date equipment. Our job is to make sure police have the right tools.
"[But] these targeted gang-related shootings can be very hard to investigate."
Les said he is not concerned about falling success rates at a regional homicide unit based in Surrey.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says its success rate has dropped from 80 per cent in 2003 to 62 per cent in 2006. Success is defined when charges are laid.
"The province needs more integration in respect to homicides," Les said.
He'd like to see Vancouver's large homicide unit join forces with IHIT, which has 17 member jurisdictions from Sechelt to Hope.
Vancouver Police Department's success rate was almost identical with IHIT's in 2006, even though Vancouver's staff isn't as large.
Const. Tim Fanning said charges were laid in 12 of the city's 19 homicides, which works out to a success rate of 63 per cent, one per cent better than IHIT. Investigations are continuing in the remaining seven.
"VPD homicide and IHIT investigate the same types of murders, often related, all within the same regional district," said Fanning.
VPD has two sergeants and 18 investigators, plus five assistants for a total of 25; IHIT, which investigated 43 murders in 2006, has 76 investigators and a total of 96 staff.
Fanning said IHIT has roughly twice as much staff available for each homicide.
Delta's police force has a 75-per-cent success rate investigating a small number of homicides since 2003.
Charges have been laid in six of eight investigations.
"We're very lucky a lot of the gang stuff hasn't happened here," said Const. Paul Eisenzimmer. "If it was, that would affect our stats. They are harder to prove."
Delta police have a proposal before council which recommends joining forces with the regional unit.
"Ultimately, more resources are available to throw at a homicide," said Eisenzimmer. "The gang stuff may not stay away forever."
West Vancouver has left IHIT and assigned its one investigator to Vancouver's homicide team.