Police Investigate Early Morning Armed Robbery at Burlington Shoppers Drug Mart

Crime 100By Staff

June 22, 2017

BURLINGTON,ON

 

It was after 3 in the morning – two male suspects, one armed with a handgun the other armed with an expandable baton, entered the Shoppers Drug Mart located at 3023 New Street in Burlington.

The suspects rounded up employees before heading for the pharmacy department where they demanded narcotics.

After an undisclosed quantity of oxycodone was provided, the suspects fled the store, running west along the front of the plaza and then north along Guelph Line.

A search of the area by canine and Tactical Rescue Unit (TRU) members was conducted however the suspect were not located.

The suspect armed with the handgun is described as male, hispanic, 5’8″ to 5’10” tall, heavy build, 200 to 250 lbs, wearing a black hoodie with a black & white bandana, dark pants, black gloves and white shoes.

The suspect armed with the expandable baton is described as male, white, 6′ tall, thin build, 150 lbs wearing a dark toque with a beige bandana covering his face and black golves.

Anyone with information about this robbery are asked to contact Detective Phil Vandenbeukel of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Robbery Team at 905-825 4747 ext. 2343, Crime Stoppers “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimesoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

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The identity thieves are always out there - like the weather - they never go away,

Crime 100By Staff

June 22nd, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

They are sort of like the weather – you can’t avoid them if you use the internet.

Somewhere along the way someone sold an Identity Thief one of our addresses and like clockwork – in comes an email warning about a danger lurking out there for us.

This one was related to an BMO account.

We know what we do with our various bank accounts – but some people think their bank might be trying to tell them something important.

Your bank will never send you this kind of notice – they value you as a customer – they will call you if there is a problem. Because when there is a serious problem the banks end of having to pay out at least some of the loss.

BMO scam

We removed the name of the recipient. This did not come from BMO. That verify your account now link could wipe you out financially. It is the first step to getting their hooks into you.

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An interesting bank scam - sounds professional - phony as a $3 bill.

Crime 100By Staff

June 22, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

This scam sounded very professional – almost as if they knew what they were talking about.

Your authentication device synchronization is the process of establishing consistency among data from a slave source to a master data source and vice versa and the continuous harmonization of the data over time.

We periodically update our master DataKey and a resynchronization is always required. In this case all changes to the data are marked with timestamps. Synchronization proceeds by transferring all data with a timestamp later than the previous synchronization.

You will find the instructions to resynchronize your authentication device by downloading the attached file.
IDTHEFT 100X100Failure to synchronize your authentication device by 12:00 A.M. will lead to your device being deactivated. To ensure ongoing service and avoid payments or processing delays please proceed to your device synchronization now.

As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping you informed of matters that may impact you, we wish to inform you that your authentication device synchronization is required for insurance coverage purposes. Please do not delay or any transactions in this time period will not be covered by our insurance.

Web Business Banking
TD Commercial Banking

Here was the problem with this one – we don’t bank with Toronto Dominion.  Would a TD customer gt taken in by this?   Some of them might – when they learn what is behind that file they want you to download it will be a sad day.

Banks DO NOT communicate with their customers this way.

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New court house for the Region - to be located in Oakville.

News 100 redBy Staff

June 21st, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

This news will keep the lawyers in the region happy.

The province announced the building of a new courthouse in Oakville replace the court house in Milton – something everyone has been asking for.

Milton Court House

Province announces a new court house for the Region – construction slated to start in 2019 – will open four years later.

Attorney General Yasir Naqvi was joined by Kevin Flynn, MPP for Oakville, Indira Naidoo-Harris, MPP for Halton and Eleanor McMahon, MPP for Burlington, to make the announcement at the site of the future Halton Region Consolidated Courthouse.

The new 21-courtroom facility will offer a broad range of justice, family, social and victim services, bringing the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice operations in Milton and Burlington together at one accessible location.

Court house location - McMahon

Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon at the site o the new court for the Region to be built in Oakville – construction to start in 2019 and open four years later.

The building will feature new technology to make the court run more efficiently which will help speed up the criminal justice system in the Halton Region. For example, witnesses and other vulnerable persons will be able to appear before court from remote locations through video conferencing or from a secure room through closed-circuit television.

Construction on the courthouse is expected to begin in late 2019 and be complete about four years later.

The new courthouse will be located at the intersection of William Halton Parkway and Third Line, North and west of the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.

To get to the new courthouse, people will be able to take the GO bus from Bronte and Oakville GO stations. The courthouse will also be accessible by a rapid transit bus, which is planned to run along Dundas Street from Bronte Road in Burlington to the Kipling TTC subway station.

The site of the future courthouse is provincially owned property.

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Thefts from parked cars up 187% over last year - these are preventable occurrences.

Crime 100By Staff

June 20th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Thefts from Motor Vehicle Occurrences Significantly Up in Burlington.

The Halton Regional Police Service report a significant increase in reported thefts from motor vehicles since the beginning of 2017.

As of June 18th 2017, there have been 341 reported occurrences of citizens having their motor vehicles entered and items stolen which are up significantly from the 119 reported occurrences during the same time frame last year and represents a 187% increase in this crime.

In 219 of these occurrences, entry was possible because the vehicles were left unlocked. In 59 of these occurrences entry was made by smashing a window and 24 occurrences by forcing the doorframe and/or lock punch. There were 29 reported occurrences of licence plates being stolen from vehicles and 10 “other” occurrences which include theft of vehicle batteries, tires/rims and manufacturer emblems.

Almost every community in Burlington has been targeted by thieves (see attached HEAT Map). These are crimes of opportunity and are preventable.

Police are reminding the public of the following prevention tips:

• Ensure your unattended vehicle(s) are kept locked/secure
• Never leave personal identification or valuables in your vehicle
• Park in a well-lit and attended areas whenever possible
• Never leave spare keys in your vehicle
• If you have to leave valuables in your vehicle, lock them in your trunk. Don’t tempt thieves by leaving packages or purses in plain view or on the seat.
• Remove GPS navigation and cell phone devices & power cords from view when not in your vehicle
• Consider installing CCTV / Surveillance cameras which can capture the crime and aid in suspect identification
• Help police catch those responsible by keeping an eye out in your communities and immediately reporting any suspicious activity

Anyone with information about person(s) responsible for these crimes or persons selling stolen property from these crimes are asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825 4747 ext. 2316, Crime Stoppers “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimesoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

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Toronto resident with an alternative medicine practice in Burlington charged with indecent sexual assault.

Crime 100By Staff

June 19th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Halton Regional Police Service Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit investigated an incident of sexual assault allegedly perpetrated by a practitioner of alternative medicine at his clinic in Burlington in May of this year.

The victim in the matter was an adult female patient.

As a result of the investigation, Hugo Ramiro, 42 years, of Toronto was arrested on June 19th, 2017. He is charged with one count of sexual assault.

HRPS crestAnyone with any information about this matter is encouraged to contact Detective Constable Andrew Hulbert at 905-465-8971 of the Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit or Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

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One person identified - wrong man - two suspect captured on video> Do you know either of them?

Crime 100By Staff

June 14th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Halton Regional Police reported that on May 2/3rd, several unlocked vehicles were entered in the Seneca Avenue area of Burlington.

At one residence, the suspects stole credit and debit cards out of a vehicle which were later used fraudulently in the City of Hamilton. Police are seeking the public’s assistance locating the first male and identifying the second suspect. A warrant exists for the first suspect who was identified as, Richard SHIELDS (57) of Hamilton.

A second suspect has yet to be identified. The same two suspects are responsible for further car entries in Burlington on May 18th.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of or can identify the suspects is asked to contact D/Cst Dave Macedo or Det Ellie Bale of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Property Crime Team @ 905-825-4747 ext 2312 or 2316. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

Then there was an ooops from the Regional police – Shields was not there man – they released the following:

After further investigation and with public assistance, police have determined SHIELDS is not one of the persons involved and as such is not a suspect in these occurrences and a warrant for his arrest no longer exists.

Suspect 1 - not Shields

Suspect 1

Suspect 2 - not shields

Suspect 2

Police are seeking the assistance of the public to help identify the two suspects captured on video.

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The tax people don't communicate like this - and only the gullible respond to stuff like this.

IDTHEFT 100X100By Staff

June 14th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

There are enough clues in this Identity Theft scam to see it for just what it is – a way for the sender to determine that you are gullible and begin gathering information about you.

Vigilant, vigilant, vigilant – check what lands in your mail box. Sort o like crossing a street – look both ways and then begin crossing.

Count the number of errors, clues and red flags in this one:

Tax refund scam

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Arson suspected in three playground fires at Burlington parks - playground structures badly damaged.

News 100 redBy Staff

June 11th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

At 4:00am this morning the Halton Regional Police Service and Burlington Fire Department responded to a fire in Lansdown Park at 3448 Hannibal Road in Burlington.

Fire pumpet - boots at doorThe first responders found the playground structure fully engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished. The playground structure sustained significant damage.

Investigators are think this fire might be related to two similar incidents that have occurred within the last week in Burlington.

On Saturday June 10th 2017 at 3:00 am, a fire was reported at the playground outside St Anne Elementary School at 4675 Doug Wright Drive. That fire, too, resulted in significant damage to the children’s playground structure.

Prior to that, on Saturday June 3rd there was a fire at Emerson Park – 2390 Sutton Drive in Burlington. A smouldering fire causing heavy smoke inside a children’s play tube that was extinguished before more extensive damage could be caused.

These fires are being treated as arson.

Anyone with information pertaining to these fires is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825 4747 ext. 2316, or Crime Stoppers (See Something, Hear Something, Say Something) at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip201″with your message to 274637 (crimes).

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There was a 9% increase in charges laid during the 2017 Canada Road Safety Week from the 2016 campaign.

News 100 redBy Staff

June 5, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

During the period of 16-22 May, uniform and plainclothes officers from across all areas of the Halton Regional Police Service supported the National driving campaign known as ‘Canada Road Safety Week’, conducting a heightened level of traffic enforcement on area roadways.

sde

Regional police enforcing highway traffic act during May long weekend – 9% more charges laid in 2017.

Officers focused on what has become known as the ‘Big 3 Killers’ on our roads, including aggressive driving, distracted driving and impaired operation by alcohol or drug.

During the seven days of enforcement, which ended with the conclusion of the Victoria Day Long Weekend, Halton Police laid a total of 2,082 Provincial offence charges, commonly known as “traffic tickets”.

This total represents a 9% increase from the 2016 campaign, when 1,903 charges were laid. The top three charges included:

1. Speeding;
2. Documentary infractions including licensing and insurance; and
3. Disobey stop sign – fail to stop.

Interesting to note that distracted driving was not one of the top three.

During this campaign, Halton Police conducted a variety of enforcement, including RIDE, to specifically address the ongoing concern of motorists choosing to drive while impaired.

14 drivers were either driving with over 80mgs of alcohol in their system, or refused to provide a breath sample, which resulted in a criminal charge, 90-day licence suspension and 7-day vehicle impound.

3 drivers were driving impaired by drug, which resulted in a criminal charge, 90-day licence suspension and 7-day vehicle impound.

23 drivers were driving in the alcohol warn range, with roadside breath testing resulting in 3/7/30-day roadside suspensions.

1 driver was driving in the drug warn range, with the DRE/SFST test resulting in a 3/7/30-day roadside suspension.

In contrast, 12 motorists were arrested and charged in 2016 with impaired driving related offences including impaired by drug.

Halton Police ask the public who  observe a vehicle being operated in a manner which places you or anyone else in danger, please call 911 for an immediate police response (#makethecall911).

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Crime Stoppers partners with local banks to attract the highest number of people to the annual shredding event.

News 100 redBy Staff

June 4th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Cal Millar, a Halton Crime Stoppers Board member said there “was a steady stream throughout the day” and added that it “Looks like we have more than doubled the number of people from last year, just looking at the total of donations.”

Shred event - constant flow

The flow of traffic was steady through the day – volunteers were on hand to help people with large cartons of documents.

Miller was reporting to his fellow Crime stoppers Board members on their annual shredding event they did on Saturday with FileBank, an accredited document shredding company.

In the past Crime Stoppers had difficulty letting people know about the event. Traditional media didn’t’ seem to attract the people Crime Stoppers believed were out there wanting to use such a service.

Shred event Beast

FileBanks “The Beast” chewed up more than five tons of sensitive documents last Saturday

Identity theft has become a crime that is out of control with the banks reporting loses in the billions of dollars. Many of those identity thefts came about when thieves tricked people into giving them information though a web site or they went through personal garbage looking for a bank statement – any document with personal information that allowed the thieves to create a profile of a person and then go after their money.

Shred event - Cal + Jodie cash

Cal Millar on the left with Detective Constable Jodi Richmond on the right counting out the cash donations from people who had their sensitive financial documents shredded – more than $4000 was raised for Crime Stoppers

The banks found they were close to helpless in preventing these crimes but were the organization that had to bear the cost when a crime was discovered.

The Burlington Gazette worked with the banks, the Regional Police, Crime Stoppers and their partner FileBank to put together a program that told people about the shredding event.

Using the Gazette website combined with what were called “banknote coupons” that were created for each of the participating banks, Crime Stoppers succeeding in convincing the banks to serve as the front line in this effort to direct people to the shredding event.

Millar reports that “we more than doubled attendance. It was the best attended shred so far. We took in more than $4,000 which was the most financially rewarding community shred we have had. And almost 10,000 pounds of shredded paper (almost five tons) was largest amount we have destroyed.

Scotia FINAL

“Banknote coupons” the size of a $5 bill were handed out to the customers at the banks who chose to participate in the program. The notes were customized for each bank and told people of the shredding event – which resulted in the highest turnout ever.

Royal V 5

 

Pulling together six organizations: Regional Police, Crime Stoppers, FileBank and three of the charted banks took some doing – but five tons of sensitive financial documents were shredded and some crimes prevented.

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Attempts to access your sensitive data come in at the rate of several every day - you have to be vigilant.

ID theft damageBy Staff

May 31, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

They come in at the rate of a couple every day.

Most of them are immediately evident as phishing attempts and they get discarded.

From time to time there is a message that catches the eye (we once got caught by a United State Postal Service scan – we were expecting a parcel and we thought this was a part of the delivery notice)

This scam was aimed at TD Bank customers – we don’t bank with TD so we knew it was a phishing attempt.
However for those people who are TB Bank customers it might have read as a real notice and you might have responded.

TD scam - authentification

The use of a photograph can be deceiving.

Whenever there is something important – your bank calls you. They don’t want to lose you as a customer over what is a technical matter.

This one was good – look it over and see if you can identify the flaws.

Remember the cardinal rule – if in doubt – don’t.

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Shred your sensitive documents - keep them out of the hands of the Identity thieves

News 100 blueBy Staff

May 30th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Crime Stoppers of Halton in partnership with FileBank Canada is hosting a shred event in Burlington to help combat Identity Theft and other fraud.

The event will be held Saturday, June 3, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot on the east side of Brant Street at Ghent Avenue, three blocks south of Fairview Street.

Royal V 5Crime Stoppers has also partnered with a number of the chartered banks in Burlington to promote the event at the bank branch level by handing out small banknote sized coupons alerting people to how serious a problem Identity Theft is and how people can use the Crime stoppers service to protect themselves.

For a donation to Halton’s Crime Stoppers programs, residents and business owners can feed FileBank’s “Beast” – a state-of-the-art mobile shredding vehicle – with their personal and sensitive documents to ensure they are not used by scam artists for various fraud schemes.

BeastOne of the fastest growing frauds today is Identity Theft with losses running into the billions of dollars. Halton Crime Stoppers is committed to helping people to protect themselves from this crime with several conveniently located community shred campaigns across the region throughout the year.

Detective Constable Jodi Richmond, police coordinator of Halton Crime Stoppers, said it’s important for people to protect themselves from becoming victims by ensuring any documents with personal information are destroyed properly.

“Items such as cancelled cheques, financial records, old letterhead, invoices, copies of job applications or anything containing personal information can easily be used by criminals to obtain credit cards; steal money from bank accounts; procure passports or other identification and even get a mortgage on your home without you even knowing,” she said. “Destroying confidential and business documents is the best way to protect you from becoming a victim of fraud.”

Detective Constable Richmond also pointed out that FileBank’s process is eco-friendly since all sensitive documents pulverized through the mobile shredding equipment is recycled into new paper products.

In addition, those bringing old financial records and other documents to the shredding site in Burlington will receive a 500-sheet package of recycled paper courtesy of Domtar, one of Canada’s leading paper producers.
“It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” Richmond said.

Halton Crime Stoppers also wishes to thank local branches of the Royal Bank, Scotia Bank and TD Bank for helping promote the shred event to their customers and raise awareness of Identity Theft.

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Regional police are asking high school students to take the distracted driving pledge - #TextULater

News 100 redBy Staff

May 30, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The City of Burlington, Halton District and Halton Catholic District School Boards, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association and the Ministry of Transportation, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) will officially kick-off its Distracted Driving Pledge (#TextULater) pilot campaign.

Starting Monday, June 5, HRPS High School Liaison Officers will visit high schools throughout Burlington, encouraging students to take the #TextULater Pledge and challenging others to do the same.

Deputy Chief Nishan Duraiappah pleads his innocence to the charge of Grand Theft Donuts, looking on is Halton Regional Police Detective Constable Paul Proteau.

Deputy Chief Nishan Duraiappah has always worked well with the high school crowd – hopefully he will be doing some of the teaching.

Deputy Chief Nish Duraiappah, Sergeant Jared McLeod, Burlington District Response Team and Initiative Creator and the community partners, including the City of Burlington, school boards, agencies and high school students are going to be involved in this one – a full Monty from everyone

The Regional police have always been able to work with high school students and explain the very real consequences of their behavior.

Two Nelson high school students do their best to stay on the green line wearing Fatal Vision goggles during a HAlton Regional Police RIDE program.

Two Nelson high school students do their best to stay on the green line wearing Fatal Vision goggles during a Halton Regional Police RIDE program.

A number of years ago the HRPS worked with Nelson high school students demonstrating the effect alcohol had on their ability to respond to what was going on around them – making it very very clear that driving wasn’t really possible with alcohol above the limit in their bodies.

Let’s hope they can do as well with getting the distracted driving message across – then of course there is the marijuana message once that product is legal.

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Regional police Staff Sergeant Brad Murray arrested on numerous charges related to drugs the police had seized in other drug related cases.

Crime 100By Staff

May 28, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Halton Regional Police Service announced that a 16-year member of the force was arrested today and is facing Breach of Trust, Theft, and Obstruct Justice charges following a seven-month internal and external investigation.

In the fall of 2016, a drug exhibit anomaly was discovered by members of the HRPS Drug and Morality Unit. As a result, a comprehensive internal audit of all drug exhibits seized by the Halton Regional Police Service commenced. The audit revealed that approximately 30 exhibits had been tampered with. In all instances, the exhibits involved prescription or illicit opioids, the most common example of which is OxyContin.

The exact number of exhibits affected will be a matter for disclosure during the court process.

As a result of this information, Chief of Police Stephen Tanner contacted the Toronto Police Service in November, 2016 and requested they undertake an independent, external criminal investigation relating to the exhibits. This common practice in matters pertaining to internal criminal investigations ensures an impartial and transparent investigation.

Murray cropped

Staff Sergeant Brad Murray.

The Toronto Police Service agreed to assist in this matter and began their criminal investigation in December, 2016. Their investigation has concluded and has resulted in today’s arrest of Staff Sergeant Brad Murray. Staff Sergeant Murray was a member and supervisor of the Service’s Drug and Morality Unit from January, 2013 to May, 2016, during which time the criminal offences are alleged to have occurred.

Staff Sergeant Murray has been formally charged with the following:

• Breach of Trust x2
• Theft Under x2
• Obstruct Justice

A First appearance court date has been set for June 27th 2017, at the Milton Provincial Courthouse.

“Staff Sergeant Murray has been suspended from duty with pay, as per the Police Services Act of Ontario (PSA),” said Chief of Police Stephen Tanner. “As such, we will endeavour to conclude this matter at the earliest opportunity.”

In addition to the criminal charges, Staff Sergeant Murray will face disciplinary procedures in accordance with the PSA. The most serious penalty under the PSA is dismissal.

With the criminal investigation by the Toronto Police Service complete, the Halton Regional Police Service (Professional Standards Bureau) will now conduct its internal disciplinary investigation, at which point the Police Services Act process will commence.

As a result of the investigation, and confirmation that exhibits had been tampered with, a number of drug related trials have been stayed by the Prosecution. The full ramifications of this situation as it relates to court prosecutions and potential withdrawal of charges will not be known for some time.

Halton Regional Police Services Chief Tanner wants to tweet with you.

Halton Regional Police Services Chief Tanner.

Chief Tanner released the following statement to the public and the members of the Halton District Police Service:

“We recognize the impact such news brings to you, the people we serve, and to the reputation of our Service. It violates public trust in the work we do and is an affront to the Canadian justice system as a whole. As such, we are committed to dealing with this issue transparently and thoroughly, guided by our longstanding principles of Excellence, Integrity, Justice, Trust and Respect, Teamwork and Accountability.

We will continue to cooperate fully with, and support the decisions of, the Toronto Police Service, Public Prosecution Services of Canada and the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Office. In light of the findings and going forward, the Drug and Morality Unit has implemented additional measures to preserve the integrity of all seized drug exhibits. I am confident in the security of our Service’s drug exhibits and that no other cases or types of drugs are in question.”

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Halton Regional Police launch third phase of project safe commute in Burlington

News 100 redBy Staff

May 24th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

On Tuesday May 23rd, officers from the Services three District Response Units teamed up for a third time this year in order to focus on a variety of traffic complaints throughout the City of Burlington. A large number of traffic complaints received by police relate to drivers exceeding the posted speed limits.

Project Safe Commute was developed in response to concerns expressed by Halton residents about aggressive driving, particularly during the morning and afternoon commutes. The first phase of the initiative was completed in Milton and Halton Hills in late March, while the second phase took place in Oakville in April.

Police with radasr guns at Alton two officers

Police targeting cars exceeding the speed limits.

Officers targeted those driving behaviours that place road users at the greatest risk namely distracted driving, aggressive driving and driving while impaired by either drug or alcohol.

Officers dedicated a combined total of 98 hours of enforcement to 15 identified high traffic complaint areas within Burlington. As a result of police presence at these various locations, police arrested two impaired drivers, impounded two vehicles for 7 days, took out of service three commercial motor vehicles due to violations, issued over 28 warnings to drivers and handed out 138 Provincial Offence Notices to drivers.

The charges ranged from distracted driving, speeding, stop sign and red light infractions, license suspensions, and impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

40 km hr speed limitSgt. Jared McLeod of the 3 District Response Unit commented, “Drivers need to remember that their actions behind the wheel may have consequences on others. Several drivers stopped for speeding were doing 40km over the posted limit. Speeds like this, can escalate the chances of a serious motor vehicle collision. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. We all play a role in changing driver behaviour to ensure safer roads for all.”

Halton Police would like to remind drivers that community safety is a shared responsibility and that each individual driver plays a key role in ensuring that their next commute is a Safe Commute.

Project Safe Commute and others are part of the Service’s broader Community First policing philosophy that focuses on incorporating the four pillars of (community) safety and well-being into service priorities: Emergency Response, Risk Intervention, Prevention, and Social Development.

If any citizen would like to report a traffic concern they can do so by visiting our website and submitting an online traffic complaint,

https://www.haltonpolice.ca/services/reporting/trafficcomplaints.php

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How much damage can the theft of your personal identity do?

News 100 redBy Staff

May 15, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

On Saturday June 3rd, you will be able to have your personal sensitive documents shred at the Crime stoppers event.  The shredding truck will be at the parking lot on the east side of Brant at Ghent from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

How much damage can the theft of your personal identity do?

An Ontario teacher is working to clear her name and her credit score, after someone appears to have used her identity to open credit cards, take out a loan and purchase a luxury SUV.

Tara Douglas arrived home from her teaching job in Bradford, about 65 kilometres north of Toronto, on April 28 to find a bill waiting for her for the Highway 407 toll expressway.

The bill was for trips she never took in a car she never bought.

“I saw the licence plate did not belong to me and the trips that were on this 407 bill I had never taken,” Douglas told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning.

She called the number on the bill and was told she had to deal with the Ministry of Transportation. The next day, Douglas went to a Service Ontario location to figure out what was going on.

After receiving a strange bill, Tara Douglas began digging and discovered that her identity had been stolen.
A staffer there pulled up her information and told Douglas that a 2012 black Range Rover was registered to her driver’s licence, in addition to her own car.

“That’s kind of when I really started to freak out because this obviously isn’t my car,” she said.
The MTO staffer removed the Range Rover from her licence and directed her to police in Barrie. Police listened to the details of her case and launched an investigation. On Tuesday, the force issued a news release with a picture of a suspect standing in front of the SUV.

“The news release says the Range Rover has been registered to Douglas since March 31 after being purchased at a dealership in Woodbridge, another community north of Toronto.

“The dealership was contacted and confirmed the female who purchased the vehicle did so with a valid driver’s licence and proper identification,” the release says.

Police had advised Douglas to contact her bank, as well as credit reporting agencies Equifax and TransUnion, to see what else may have been done in her name. While her personal bank information was fine, the credit bureaus told her that someone had taken out numerous credit cards in her name, ringing up between $1,000 and $5,000 in charges. Her address was also listed as being in North York, which isn’t true. Two cellphone numbers that weren’t Douglas’s were also registered to her.

Other car purchases were also listed on her credit report, and police told her that a $60,000 loan had also been taken out in her name.

After learning about the extent of the identity theft, Douglas has done everything she could to clean up her credit report and protect herself.

While she doesn’t yet know how someone managed to get her personal information, police did tell her that the person allegedly buying cars and obtaining credit in her name had obtained her social insurance number.

She’s now working hard to clean up her credit report, sending the credit bureaus various documents to prove her side of the story. She has also contacted Canada Post to ensure her mail wasn’t being diverted to the suspect’s address.

“I think I’ve covered all my bases,” she said. She’s also unsubscribed from email lists she doesn’t want to be on, has told her banks to only communicate with her by phone and boosted the privacy settings on her social media accounts.

“I don’t know what else I can do at this point, but I want this to be resolved and go away and and get back to what my life was and who I am,” she said.

How did someone get enough information on Tara Douglas to be able to open up a bank account, get a bank loan, buy a car and get credit cards,  She may never know.  The thieves may have gone though her garbage and found a bank statement – that would be more than enough to get them started.

On Saturday June 3rd, you will be able to have your personal sensitive documents shred at the Crime stoppers event.  The shredding truck will be at the parking lot on the east side of Brant at Ghent from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

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This apple is not going to improve your health - it could damage your wallet.

Crime 100By Staff

May 14, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

What is wrong with this email?  It says it is from Apple – I am not an Apple user – so why would I respond to it?

Also – it is not from Apple.

The clues – and you need to learn to look for them.

Apple scam May 12-17

Emails like this are flooding the internet – doing a lot of damage to the finances of individuals and costing the banks and the credit card companies a small fortune – billions.

 

The address it came from – does have the word apple in it – but it isn’t from the Apple organization.

The mis-spelling of the word security is the biggest clue.  Major corporations don’t make that kind of mistake – should it happen they would correct it in second.

Should you click on any of the places they ask you to – you have started the process that could well end up with you losing your identity to someone else – who can do you a lot of harm.  How much damage can they do – check out this story we published.

Be careful, be cautious.  when you cross the street you look both ways – do the same with email.  The internet has brought us huge changes – and with those changes come some problems.  If the email you get looks to good to be true – that’s because it isn’t.  The thieves are relying on your gullibility and your greed.

 

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Special Investigations unit finds no fault with Halton police officer who fired his gun while in Toronto.

News 100 redBy Staff

May 10th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

It wasn’t the tour of duty they were expecting when they set out for work September 20th, 2016

In a media release the Halton Regional Police Service report that several of its members were following a suspect; while in the city of Toronto, one of the officers shot the suspect.  When police use their  guns the Ontario Special Investigations Units initiates an investigation.  At the time of the incident, HRPS officers were following a suspect, a Mr. Grayson Delong, as part of an ongoing property crimes investigation.

The Ontario special Investigations Unit tell the story much better than the Halton police,

They report that:

special_investigations_unit-logo

The SIU investigated behaviour of an HRPS officer. He was cleared

The assignment began at a courthouse in Brampton where Mr. Delong was scheduled to make a 9 a.m. court appearance. Over the next several hours, HRPS officers followed Mr. Delong who eventually made his way to the downtown Toronto area.

After parking on Admiral Road, Mr. Delong exited the vehicle wearing a reflective construction vest and a blonde wig. He then walked to a nearby park where he stayed for approximately one hour. Suspecting that Mr. Delong was preparing to commit a robbery, the team contacted other area police services about their suspicions.

Shortly after 3 p.m., Mr. Delong drove to Bedford Road and parked his vehicle across the street from 23 Bedford Road.

Minutes later, Mr. Delong exited his vehicle, looked southbound and then re-entered the car. The subject officer, directed to approach on foot in order to ascertain if Mr. Delong was still inside the vehicle, saw Mr. Delong slouched down in the rear passenger seat. He was still wearing the disguise. The subject officer walked into the stairwell of a nearby building which afforded him a view of Mr. Delong sitting in the vehicle.

Suddenly, Mr. Delong exited the vehicle and ran up behind a male individual, who was standing at the rear of a vehicle in the driveway of the property at 23 Bedford Road. As the male slowly turned around, Mr. Delong discharged a semi-automatic pistol. The male suffered gunshot wounds and fell to the ground. Mr. Delong made his way back to his vehicle.

Hearing gunshots, followed by shouting and screaming, the subject officer ran onto Bedford Road and saw Mr. Delong re-enter his vehicle while carrying a dark object in his right hand which he believed was a gun.

The subject officer, now standing on the east sidewalk took out his gun and walked behind the vehicle Mr. Delong was in and pointed his pistol at it. The subject officer yelled, “Police, police, police!” Mr. Delong drove his vehicle out of the parking space in a jerky motion. The vehicle abruptly stopped, and the driver’s window shattered outward as Mr. Delong again discharged his firearm. Mr. Delong then began to slowly drive away along southbound Bedford Road.

The subject officer aimed his gun at the rear of Mr. Delong’s vehicle and fired three times. After firing the third shot, he noticed Mr. Delong slump to the right, and his vehicle suddenly jerked and started rolling forward. One of the other members of the team drove his vehicle in front of Mr. Delong’s car, and the two vehicles slowly made contact and came to a stop.

The members of the team approached Mr. Delong’s vehicle with their guns drawn. They found Mr. Delong lying across the right front passenger seat. He had been struck twice.

First Aid was administered to Mr. Delong until paramedics arrived.

When Mr. Delong’s left arm was pulled out from underneath him, a semi-automatic pistol was observed on the passenger seat of the vehicle.

Director Loparco said, “There is no question that the subject officer was acting in the course of his duties when he fired his gun at the fleeing Mr. Delong. The subject officer was in a proximate location to the male’s office at the time of the shooting. Mr. Delong acted suddenly, and the subject officer’s response was prompt. The time frame from when Mr. Delong approached the male to when he pulled his vehicle away was a mere 20 seconds.
“The question that I have to consider is whether or not the subject officer exceeded the ambits of justifiable force in the circumstances, the applicable section of the Criminal Code being section 25(4).

“Based on all of the forensic evidence and statements from numerous witnesses and the subject officer, all five requirements of section 25(4) are satisfied. First, the subject officer had reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Delong had just shot somebody and as such was arrestable. Second, a person who commits either aggravated assault or discharge firearm with intent can be arrested without a warrant. Third, Mr. Delong was clearly attempting to flee the scene as he drove away from 23 Bedford Road. Fourth, the subject officer indicated that he believed that Mr. Delong posed a threat to him, the other nearby officers and the public.

Given that Mr. Delong appeared to have just shot somebody, and had fired additional shots from inside his vehicle, the subject officer’s conclusion was more than reasonable. Finally, there was no less violent mechanism that could have been used to affect the arrest. It is also noteworthy that the subject officer only fired three times, and held his fire after noticing that Mr. Delong’s vehicle abruptly jerked on the roadway. The subject officer’s actions in the circumstances were reasonable, responsive, measured and thoughtful.”

Re: On 2013-09-13, at 4:50 PM, Pagliaro, Jennifer wrote: Crown attorney Tony Loparco will become the SIU's director on Oct. 16. PROVIDED

Special Investigations Unit Director Tony Loparco.

Director Loparco added, “Beyond the shooting, there was another potential avenue of criminal liability that I considered when reviewing this case. The facts of this case gave me pause when they were presented to me at an early stage. I was concerned with the fact that the HRPS team had been observing Mr. Delong for an extended period of time prior to the shooting. The concern was that their inactions, or omissions, could conceivably satisfy the requirements of criminal negligence causing bodily harm with respect to the male’s injuries. If the officers did not place Mr. Delong under arrest when they should have, then their actions could very well have been a marked and substantial departure from what a reasonable officer would have done in the same circumstances.

“However, a review of the HRPS team’s assignment and efforts leads me to the conclusion that there is no basis for reasonable grounds to believe that the offence of criminal negligence causing bodily harm was committed. While his activities certainly warranted suspicion, Mr. Delong was not arrestable for any offences prior to his approaching the male and discharging a firearm. After Mr. Delong donned his disguise, the team consulted with nearby police services to determine if Mr. Delong matched the descriptions of any wanted persons. He did not.”

Director Loparco concluded, “In the circumstances, the subject officer was legally justified in employing force intended to cause death or grievous bodily harm against a fleeing suspect. Consequently, there is no reason to believe that a criminal offence has been committed and no charges will issue.”

HRPS Chief Stephen Tanner today releases his statement regarding the incident and SIU findings:

Halton Regional Police Services Chief Tanner wants to tweet with you.

Halton Regional Police Services Chief Tanner.

“At this time I wish to publicly commend each of our officers for the roles they played that day. They were able to effectively intervene in a rapidly unfolding, life-threatening incident. While we may never know for sure, these officers quite possibly saved the life of the victim who had been shot. Following the initial incident, the officers rendered medical assistance at the scene until Toronto EMS arrived.

“I am extremely proud of our team. All of the involved officers, including the subject officer, cooperated fully with the SIU. This included (the subject officer) submitting to an interview, which he was not required to do.

“No police officer wants to be placed in a situation of having to consider, never mind actually using deadly force. However, we know from this and many other similar, serious cases across the country, it can be a requirement of our highly-trained and professional officers.

“With the SIU investigation concluded, I want to once again thank our officers for their actions and commend them for their professional conduct throughout the incident and resulting investigation.”

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The parking ticket scam - don't fall for this one.

Crime 100By Staff

May 10, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The attempts to get at your personal financial information are relentless. There are thousands of thieves out there from around the world hat send out millions of email each day trying to lure people into sending them information that will allow them to get at your sensitive financial information.

The rule is always – if in doubt – don’t

One of the more recent scams is the parking ticket notice.

Here is what it looks like.

Parking notice part 1Parking notice part 2Parking notice part 3

The bottom part is perhaps the most dangerous – they might have a photograph that will have computer code within it that could corrupt your computer and leave software on your machine that lets them track everything you do.

Very dangerous.  That rule again:  If in doubt – don’t.

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