Public not at risk after suspected biker clubhouse arson: police
Most displaced neighbours in Brockville have been cleared to return home
CBC News · Posted: Jul 12, 2023 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 12
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/brockville-cornwall-fire-fight-biker-gangs-outlaws-loners-1.6903570
Investigators dig through the rubble of a building on Perth Street in Brockville, Ont., July 11, 2023 that burnt down the previous day. Police suspect it may be arson. (Jean Delisle/CBC)
The OPP’s biker enforcement unit (BEU) says there’s no heightened risk to the public in light of the suspected arson at the Outlaws motorcycle gang’s Brockville clubhouse on Monday.
“When there’s conflict with outlaw motorcycle gangs, we hope that it’s restrained and we’ll take aggressive action to curtail it,” BEU head Det. Insp. Scott Wade said on CBC’s All in a Day Tuesday.
Wade had earlier said that gang violence always raises worries of escalation and the possibility that bystanders could be injured in the crossfire, though he said police have “a great plan in place” to stem the violence.
“I don’t want the public to be alarmed,” said Wade.
He did not expand on what the plan involved, citing the need to protect operational details.
As of Tuesday, police were still not publicly making any link between Monday’s fire and a weekend clash between the Outlaws and the Loners biker gangs that left three people injured in Cornwall.
Brockville police say there’s “absolutely” a possibility and the BEU is now participating in both investigations.
“We are aware … that there could be follow-up violence to either of these incidents,” Wade said. “We are hoping that calmer heads prevail.”
Clubs linked to motorcycle gangs growing ‘exponentially’
Wade explained that organized criminal motorcycle gangs have expanded in recent years and that’s not limited to Ontario.
He said the trend is driven by “support” or “associate” clubs that provide increased numbers, participate in criminal activities and act as a “layer of insulation” to protect higher level members.
Those support clubs have grown “exponentially,” he said.
The OPP issued a news release Tuesday warning that motorcycle gang members are known to carry weapons and engage in violence and advising the public not to approach them.
Wade said people should refrain from wearing any clothing that could show support for the gangs.
“Wearing that type of clothing could make you a target from a rival gang,” he said. “So I wouldn’t want an unsuspecting person to think a T-shirt looked cool, put it on and put themselves in danger.”
On Tuesday, investigators continued to comb through debris at the site of the burned-out clubhouse. According to Staff Sgt. Darryl Boyd of the Brockville Police Service, investigators have talked with members of the Outlaws.
“They were occupiers of the building, so we definitely had conversations with them, as the fire department has,” he said. “I mean, you can see members are sitting up the street here watching what’s going on.”
Boyd said the BEU brings resources, expertise and information sharing to the investigation.
“Cornwall and Brockville are handling these investigations exceedingly well,” said Wade. “We just, as the biker enforcement unit, provide assistance and help with expert intelligence, subject matter expertise and whatever other resources they may or may not need.”
Displaced neighbours cleared to return home
Residents displaced by the fire, which singed several nearby houses, were given the all clear to return home as of Tuesday.
One family remains displaced after their home was destroyed, according to Brockville Mayor Matt Wren. He called the damage estimate connected with the fire “a staggering number.”
“It’s really a miracle that we walk away from this with just building and property damage, that nobody was seriously injured and thankfully no loss of life, including our first responders, because this was a very dangerous fire,” Wren said.
“It’s a sad situation for this neighbourhood, but it will be put back together. It will.”
The OPP’s Biker Enforcement Unit is helping Cornwall and Brockville police with those investigations
Brockville residents who spoke to CBC/Radio-Canada said the clubhouse never caused problems until the fire.
Eleanor Denny said the building had been “very quiet.” She hoped the fire was merely an accident rather than an escalation of gang violence.
Karen Vandine-Hollingsworth has been living across the street from the site for 24 years. She could see the emergency service lights flashing through her bedroom window as the fire burned.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, the place across the road is on fire,’” she recalls.
She had little bad to say about the Outlaws, though she admits she had a hint of worry that violence could break out.
“They were good neighbours. They did barbecues for the community. They tried to keep the noise down,” she said. “The only concern I had in the back of my mind was gang wars.”
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