Public Safety and Solicitor General
Summary:
- The North District Uniform Gang Enforcement Team is part of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit
- Eight police officers and one shared administrative support position will staff the unit
- The new enforcement team’s hiring process will begin in the new year
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A new specialized policing unit, the North District Uniform Gang Enforcement Team (ND-UGET), is being established in northern B.C. to combat organized crime activity that is bringing violence and toxic drugs into local communities.
“Guns and organized crime impact all of us, and our government is working with local, provincial and federal partners to ensure we are taking the right steps to confront this violence head-on,” said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “This new team will help to keep people and businesses in northern communities safe from the violence of criminal gang activities.”
Keeping northern communities safe
In recent years, organized crime groups have expanded drug trafficking operations, moving weapons along major corridors and targeting remote communities throughout northern B.C.
The ND-UGET, led by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC), will focus on targeted operations and intelligence gathering through collaborative efforts with local and regional policing partners to tackle the growing issue of criminal activity linked to the drug trade.
Based in Prince George, ND-UGET will patrol rural and remote communities, and supplement the work of local police with investigations into gang and organized-crime activities.
About Uniformed Gang Enforcement Teams (UGETs)
UGETs are part of CFSEU-BC and were created in 2007 to respond to a growing number of violent gang incidents throughout the province, while confronting some of the most violent offenders in society.
- Enforcement work includes regular patrols throughout Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and northern B.C.
- Reactive support work can include deploying officers to communities throughout the province to assist local police in their gang-suppression efforts.
- Since 2019, UGET teams have helped seize 311 firearms, approximately $2.2 million in illegal cash, 526 kilograms of illicit drugs (including 3 kg of fentanyl) and contributed to charges against 229 people.
The new permanent ND-UGET builds on efforts by the CFSEU to combat organized crime in the North. From 2020 until 2024, the CFSEU’s UGET was deployed to northern B.C. 28 times, and another six times in the first nine months of 2025. This represents 26% of UGET’s total deployments.
Confronting gang violence and organized crime is a top priority for government. Work continues with municipal, provincial and federal partners to support efforts seizing ill-gotten gains from criminal activity and ensuring police are equipped with the appropriate tools to effectively maintain public safety.
Quotes:
Manny Mann, assistant commissioner and chief officer, CFSEU-BC –
“A dedicated UGET team in the North District is a proactive investment in long-term public safety. It gives CFSEU-BC the ability to respond faster, work more closely with our law enforcement partners and maintain sustained pressure on the violent offenders driving the illicit drug trade in northern communities.”
Simon Yu, mayor, Prince George –
“We are grateful to the Province for investing in the North District Uniformed Gang Enforcement Team, which will strengthen enforcement against organized crime in the North. Our residents and businesses continue to be affected by vandalism, theft and street disorder, and we have consistently highlighted the need for enhanced public-safety resources in our community. We value this support and will continue to work collaboratively with the province to secure the additional tools needed to help keep Prince George safe.”
Quick Facts:
- CFSEU-BC is the provincial integrated anti-gang agency and the largest integrated police program in Canada.
- CFSEU-BC is made up of members from every police department in B.C., including the RCMP, and is the third-largest police unit in the province with more than 400 officers.
- From April 1, 2024 until March 31, 2025, the CFSEU-BC seized 143 firearms, more than $700,000 in illegal cash, 23 vehicles, 440 kg of illicit drugs (including 19 kg of fentanyl) and 1,370 kg of precursor chemicals.
Learn More:
- About the CFSEU-BC: https://cfseu.bc.ca/about-cfseu-bc/
- To read about the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office’s recent action to seize three Hells Angels clubhouses, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025PSSG0068-001194
A backgrounder follows.
