Cops turn to mob to enforce order
The Journal says police have consulted with Rizzuto associates in an appeal to calm things down among the gangs popping caps in Rivière‑des‑Prairies.
Edited at 5:30 pm to add: no comment on this? If the Journal isn’t blowing smoke, our cops are turning to crooks to keep an eye on other, presumably lesser crooks. (They’re also turning to white crooks to keep an eye on Black crooks, by and large.) In addition, it seems to me they just painted targets on the backs of Marco Pizzi and Davide Barberio, the two Rizzuto flankers shown in the piece.
JaneyB 08:01 on 2021-10-22 Permalink
Of course our cops and the crooks are in contact. I assume that they use the big crooks to rein in the anti-social behaviour of all the mini tough guys around town; it would be impossible for the cops to deal with them within the law. Also, the big crooks are professional organizations; they don’t want loose cannons blowing their deals so if the errand-boys get out of hand (or if they hear about it from the cops), they punish them themselves in a language they will understand. Ugly world, no doubt but order will be maintained by one side or the other.
dhomas 04:30 on 2021-10-23 Permalink
I agree that it’s a very weird tactic for the police to turn to criminals to “police” their territories. But it might prove effective. Also, I don’t think this puts a target on those two mafiosi. It plays more like “we’ve got the cops in our pocket”.
Kate 12:12 on 2021-10-23 Permalink
I was thinking, though: if you ask these guys to work for you, you owe them. As I understand it, the boys work very strongly on a system of favours, i.e. if you ask the boys to do something for you, they might do it, but then you’re in their debt and when they come back and ask you for a favour in return, it might not be something you’re too happy about doing, but you kind of have to.
So what do the police offer Pizzi and Barberio in return?