Winnipeg police’s Ghost Gang Life campaign: preventing youth gang involvement before it begins
Posted July 31, 2025 4:26 pm.
A new Ghost Gang Life campaign from Winnipeg police is designed to reach youth where they are, and when they need it most.
It’s part of a province-wide push by Manitoba Justice, police, and The Link to prevent gang involvement before it begins and connect young people with real help.
“It can be very hard depending on the gang and level of involvement, but that’s why we’re doing this. We’re giving them different options to get out,” said Michelle De Groot, a gang prevention coordinator with the Winnipeg Police Service.
The campaign uses a ghost icon and gritty visuals to reach teens ages 13 to 16 on social media platforms. The ads are aimed at showing the real risks of gang life and offering a lifeline out.
At the centre of the campaign is a phone number that was first unveiled in 2023 that youth can text anonymously to connect with The Link, a 24/7 support line for those looking to escape gang life.
“We’re focusing on the youth themselves who are in these situations, who feel like they can’t get out, they are being exploited, and the focus is to get them help and out of the gang life,” said WPS Insp. Josh Ewatski.
“They want to remain anonymous, so it gives them that option to remove that barrier and just talk openly with someone without having a name behind it,” said De Groot.
“The Link also serves Thompson and the Pas, so we have resources there available, so it’s really creating those connections for the young people directly where they live,” added Kerri Irvin-Ross, CEO at The Link.
This new initiative comes as youth crime continues to rise in Winnipeg, with gang recruitment playing a major role in that trend. Reformed gang members also helped shape the tone and visuals of the campaign, ensuring the message would be real, raw, and relatable.
“When you launch a new version of an initiative you want to improve on it, takes lessons learned and apply it to the next step, and this is the next step, and we feel this will be as effective if not more so than the first campaign,” said Insp. Ewatski.
The campaign is now live online and in community organizations across the province.
