They call themselves the "Burr Gang."

Members of the group of youths in the small eastern Ontario city of Brockville, Ont., about 100 kilometres south of Ottawa, are as young as 12 and include girls and boys.

At any given time there are between six and 12 of them, but not all of them live within Brockville's city limits. Members come and go, making it difficult for police to say exactly how many there are.

"And what's their common goal? The term I've been using is to get together and cause chaos, get out and damage things [and] interact with people in a negative way," Brockville police Chief Scott Fraser said in a recent interview by phone.

"A large number of that group have all been charged with various offences," some of them over and over again after they're released into the custody of their guardians only to break their release conditions, he said.

High school assault

Police had relatively little information about the youths until a "significant assault" at a high school on Sept. 12, Fraser said.

It led to charges against four youths — a 13-year-old, two 14-year-olds and a 17-year-old — none of whom can be identified due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

As is common in youth criminal matters, they were released from custody into the care of parents and guardians after being ordered to abide by certain conditions.

Suspicious death stokes fears

On Sept. 13, one day after the assault at the high school, things took a dark turn.

At about 9:30 p.m. ET, a 33-year-old man named Damian Sobieraj called 911 to report a disturbance at Hardy Park, a tree-lined green space that sits along the St. Lawrence River in Brockville's downtown waterfront area.

Brockville police issued this photo of Damian Sobieraj on Sept. 14, 2018, the day his body was found in the St. Lawrence River. (Brockville Police Service)

Responding officers found a dog in the park, which turned out to belong to Sobieraj, but Sobieraj was nowhere to be found, Fraser said. Officers intercepted a group of youths near the park and managed to question some of them.

Then, between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., police were notified that a male was potentially in the St. Lawrence River, according to a police news release.

The next morning, on Sept. 14, police announced Sobieraj was missing and asked for witnesses to come forward.

His body was recovered from the water later that day near Hardy Park.

Police did not release the cause of death, and in a news release said only that it's "being treated as suspicious."

His death hasn't been classified as a homicide and no charges have been laid, but police say speculation is running rampant in the city.

Hardy Park sits on the water's edge, taking up a city block between Home, Kincaid and Water streets in the city's downtown area. (Google Maps)

Other incidents

Police aren't answering questions about whether the teens were involved in the death, and are urging residents to wait for the investigation to unfold.

"Are some of [the youths] involved? Possibly. Are some of them not involved? Possibly. Like I say, we have to do our investigation, and once our investigation is concluded, then we'll have actually concrete facts," Fraser said.

"We've told the community they will get the answers they're asking for, but it just has to come in due time."

Since Sobieraj's death, police have reported other incidents involving youths in the city:

Sept. 21 , 9:45 p.m.: Police are notified that a large group of youths are getting ready to "stage a fight" in the southeast of the city. Officers arrive, the teens scatter and two are arrested. One of them, an 18-year-old, is charged with drug possession and breaking release conditions.

, 9:45 p.m.: Police are notified that a large group of youths are getting ready to "stage a fight" in the southeast of the city. Officers arrive, the teens scatter and two are arrested. One of them, an 18-year-old, is charged with drug possession and breaking release conditions. Sept. 24 : Police issue a news release saying they're "working diligently" to come up with solutions to youth crime. "I am very aware of a 'gang' of youths in our community that have identified themselves as a gang. I refuse to name them as I believe that this would only bolster their image or 'street cred,'" the release by Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvie states.

: Police issue a news release saying they're "working diligently" to come up with solutions to youth crime. "I am very aware of a 'gang' of youths in our community that have identified themselves as a gang. I refuse to name them as I believe that this would only bolster their image or 'street cred,'" the release by Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvie states. Oct. 1 , 4:30 p.m.: A 15-year-old girl pulls another girl off her bike, throws her to the ground and punches and kicks her in the head. The victim calls police and her alleged attacker is arrested and charged on Oct. 4. At a bail hearing she's released from custody with conditions.

, 4:30 p.m.: A 15-year-old girl pulls another girl off her bike, throws her to the ground and punches and kicks her in the head. The victim calls police and her alleged attacker is arrested and charged on Oct. 4. At a bail hearing she's released from custody with conditions. Oct. 3, around noon: An assault takes place near Stewart Boulevard and Central Avenue, and a video of the incident is shared on social media. A 17-year-old is facing charges.

Investigators believe there are other incidents that haven't been reported to police.

Brockville Watch Dogs group formed

As police continue to investigate Sobieraj's death, residents have started a neighbourhood watch group called the Brockville Watch Dogs, which organizes volunteer patrols.

"We simply patrol around Brockville [in places] that are considered hotspots. A lot of it is the downtown area ... and around the high schools," member Kendra Healey told CBC Radio's Ontario Morning earlier this week.

"It's totally your discretion when you're part of the group if you want to actually speak up and say something if you see [something suspicious] or if you just want to call the police."

More than 190 people have signed up since the group was created on Sept. 24.

A vicious cycle

Meanwhile, police are trying to engage with community partners to find better ways to handle the problem.

"We're reaching out to all of our partners here to say hey, we're dealing with 12-, 13-, 14-year-olds, and repeatedly charging them ... is doing nothing for anybody," Fraser said.

"Frankly, when they get home they have nothing, and there's no accountability on the parents, which is very sad. But that's Canada and it's 2018 — it's everybody's fault but the parents'. We're stuck in that quandary here.

"We feel bad for these kids and we feel bad for the people who are being victimized."