VANCOUVER — British Columbia's anti-gang squad is putting a more public face on the gang lifestyle — and it's not pretty.

The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit has released its annual report aimed at discouraging involvement in gangs, especially for young women who follow the lustre but find something else.

The report shows homicides and attempted homicides have climbed compared with last year, which Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton says is mostly due to the gang conflict this spring in Surrey and Delta.

Houghton says the shootings appear to have ended, mostly because some of the suspects have fled to India, while others have decided the police and media spotlight was too bright to remain involved.

The report also highlights the story of an anonymous woman in her 20s who was caught up in a gang, became addicted to drugs and was forced to ferry drugs and money across the country before she escaped.

Houghton says there are days when it feels like fighting the gangs and trying to stop people from joining is like swimming up a waterfall, but there are also rewards when their message gets through.