Pacific Gateway: State Surveillance and Interdiction of Criminal Activity on Vancouver’s Waterfront

Abstract

Unionised work environments within large seaports attract transnational organised crime, and this presents a challenge for law enforcement agencies. If media stories are true, a motorcycle club called the Hells Angels has established a presence on Vancouver area waterfronts since coming to the province of British Columbia. Associations between longshore union locals, club members, and known contacts are implied and presented as evidence of participation in criminality. This paper revisits the perception that criminal activity is endemic in the Port of Vancouver because of a lack of policing, adequate resources, and indifference from port authorities, employer bodies, as well as union leadership. In an era of heightened concerns about public safety and national security, federal and provincial governments understand the importance of seaports, especially in Vancouver and up the Fraser River. These port facilities are important to international trade that flows through them as part of Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor initiatives. Therefore, targeted investments, close coordination amongst government departments and agencies, and engagement with waterfront stakeholders promote secure places hard for organised criminals to operate freely.