 By Staff
April 24, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
UPDATE:
The Gazette has been informed that William (Bill) McTaggart died a few days after the arrest.
April 8, 2017:
As a result of an investigation conducted by the Halton Regional Police Service Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit.
William (Bill) McTaggart, 58 years, of Burlington was arrested April 7th, 2017 and charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of trafficking a narcotic.
McTaggart is a former instructor at a private college. The victim, an adult male, is a former student.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Constable Cindy Sunstrum at 905-465-8979 of the Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Staff
April 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Despite years of awareness campaigns illustrating why driving a vehicle when impaired by drugs or alcohol is dangerous, impaired driving remains the top criminal cause of death in Canada. The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has joined with MADD Canada in the effort to stop impaired driving and to support victims of this violent crime.
 They want YOU to make the right call – 911 – when you see an impaired driver on the roads. The legalization of marijuana is going to add to the numbers that get behind the wheel impaired. The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) is committed to getting impaired drivers off our roads in Halton Region and is partnering with MADD Canada to launch Campaign 911 in Halton Region. Campaign 911 is a Canada-wide campaign to encourage and empower the Canadian public to report suspected impaired driving by calling 911. By calling 911 and reporting suspected impaired drivers to police, all Canadians can play a role in reducing impaired driving crashes, deaths and injuries.
“Impaired driving is the #1 criminal cause of death in Canada, yet Halton motorists are still making the choice to operate a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs,” said Deputy Chief Nishan Duraiappah, Halton Regional Police Service. “The Halton Regional Police Service is imploring citizens to take action by calling 911 and reporting suspected impaired drivers to police. We want to mobilize the community to share the responsibility for keeping Halton safe. By making the right call, members of the public are keeping our roads, and our communities, safe.”
265 Halton motorists were criminally charged for driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs in 2016. Impaired motorists place all Halton residents at risk. If you observe a vehicle being operated in any manner that places you or anyone else in danger, make the call to 911 for an immediate police response.
Community safety is not the responsibility of the Halton Regional Police Service alone but also Halton Region, local business and community. Community safety cannot be improved by working in isolation. By working together we can achieve community safety and stop impaired drivers.
By Staff
April 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 This is an Identity Theft that attempt that is so obvious – but it will pull in thousands of people if only because there are tens of millions of Facebook users.
If you didn’t make a request to change your password – ignore it. Expect to see this message often. Your Facebook page might have a lot of information about you. You will want to keep it private.
 That “Let us know” line is possibly the most dangerous. If you didn’t request the change – then this is someone wanting to steal your identity and your Facebook page could be a gold mine for a thief.
By Staff
April 21st, 2107
BURLINGTON, ON
It was still daylight.
On April 17th at approximately 7:15 PM a female victim was walking to her car in the parking lot of Mapleview Mall in Burlington when she was accosted by another female who indicated she had a gun and demanded the victim turn over her car keys.
 Car jacking in broad daylight. The victim refused to turn over her keys at which time a male accomplice confronted the victim and demanded the keys. During this confrontation, the victim flagged down a pickup truck with a cap that was travelling through the parking lot and asked the male driver to call police. The male and female suspects then fled on foot but were located and arrested a short distance away by police.
Tanya Lyn SHEPHERD (32 yrs) and James NEFF (35 yrs) both of Hamilton were charged with robbery and released on a Promise to Appear in Milton Court on May 17th 2017.
Police would like to speak to the driver of the pickup truck that was flagged down by the victim.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Phil Vandenbeukel of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2343 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800 222 8477 (TIPS), or through the internet at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Staff
April 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The company that will build the new courthouse where provincial offences will be heard has been announced. The Court House will serve the residents of Burlington, the Town of Oakville, the Town of Milton and the Town of Halton Hills.
The new courthouse will be built at 4085 Palladium Way in Burlington Alton Village, under Design-Build and Leaseback agreement with a 30 year lease. It will serve the people of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. Construction will begin this spring with a January 2019 completion.
 New provincial offences Court House to be located on the edge of the Alton Village Community is scheduled to open in January of 2019.  Site plan for the provincial offences Court House to be built in the Alton Village Community. Scheduled to be ready for occupation in January 2019 The structure will be designed and built by Gross Capital Inc., constructed by Buttcon Ltd. and leased to Halton Court Services.
Once complete, the new courthouse will administer provincial offences court services for all of Halton Region. Provincial offences court services deal strictly with non-criminal provincial offences charges issued in Halton. These non-criminal charges include:
• Highway Traffic Act offences, such as speeding, driving without insurance or failing to stop at a red light
• Municipal bylaw offences, such as excessive noise, animal control or garbage disposal
• Offences under provincial legislation such as the Environmental Protection Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Dog Owners’ Liability Act or the Trespass to Property Act.
As a division of the City of Burlington’s Legal Department, Halton Court Services administers Provincial Offences Act court services on behalf of the municipal partnership within the Halton area through two locations: one in Burlington and one in Milton. These two existing courts for provincial offences will relocate to 4085 Palladium Way once the new courthouse is built.
The Milton and Burlington court service locations are 16,000 square feet (1,486 square metres) combined. The new facility, at 34,000 square feet (3,159 square metres), will meet today’s needs more effectively and will help Halton Court Services plan 30 years into the future.
Justice is a very profitable business for the municipal sector. Financial results for the end of the third quarter of 2016 were:
• Gross revenues of $6,909,402 (81.0% of budget)
• Overall expenditures of $3,283,653 (72.9% of budget)
• Year-to-date net revenue of $3,625,749 (90.0% of budget)
That $3 million gets shared by the municipalities in the Region
Given the continuing growth in population, a moderate increase of 1,000 charges (71,000) is projected for 2017. Gross revenue for Halton Court Services in 2017 is budgeted at $8.82 million as compared to $8.53 million during 2016.
Included in the report was mention of “red light” cameras – they produce offence notices that pull in an excess of $300 for those who chose to run that red light at two in the morning.
The new courthouse is designed by the Ventin Group Ltd. to capture the changing and evolving landscape of Halton Region in the design. The natural environment is echoed in the design through the selection of landscape materials.
• The north half of the building is a stone wall, reflecting the strong and secure Niagara Escarpment.
• The south half is a glass wall, symbolic of transparency—a virtue and goal for the justice system. The glass wall is lined with a series of wooden pillars representing the natural woodlands of Halton Region.
• The glass walls facing east and west are treated with wavy, coloured glazing to represent the character and motion of the local creeks.
• The thin, white roof canopy captures a thin blanket of snow overhanging to the south to provide sun shading for the glass—appropriate for a Canadian institution.
The new courthouse will be a dignified building, timeless in design, welcoming to the public and comfortable for all staff using the facility.
Building the new, consolidated Ontario Court of Justice – Halton Provincial Offences Office courthouse is a long-term commitment to meet the demand of provincial offences and help improve access to justice.”
 By Staff
April 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police will continue to run two traffic initiatives across the City of Burlington throughout 2017.
The most common contributing factors to traffic accidents are inattentiveness, distracted driving (cell phone use), failing to yield, driving too fast for road conditions, following too closely and disobeying traffic light signals.
 Halton Regional Police Chief Stephen Tanner talks with Sgt Davies, the man who heads up the accident reconstruction unit. The Police continue to encourage residents to report traffic complaints by going to the Halton Regional Police Website and submitting the required information on-line.
Operation RISC (Reducing Intersection Safety Concerns) has been in effect since 2015 by officers from 30 Division, in order to maximize police visibility and increase the public’s perception of safety while driving.
Collisions at intersections have a high risk potential of serious injuries or even death, making intersection safety a priority for the Halton Regional Police.
The Police have also continued the Residential Traffic/Stop Sign/Speeding (RTSS) Initiative in order to deliver a clear message to drivers that our residential roads are not raceways. This traffic safety initiative was designed to increase compliance of stop signs. Police have utilized education and enforcement strategies throughout 2017 in order to reduce the speeds of vehicles travelling on residential roadways and to promote safer driving habits.
One tactic is to park a police cruiser close to the side of a road – there seems to be this automatic interaction between the foot on the gas pedal and they eye seeing a police cruiser – the eye apparently forces the foot to apply less pressure to the gas pedal.
During the first 3 months of 2017, officers in Burlington conducted 6,495 traffic stops, issued 4,576 Provincial Offences Notices and handed out more than 1,000 warnings to drivers. Halton Police spent a total of 3,628 hours dedicated to these two initiatives throughout Burlington.
As a result of this initiative; during the first three months of 2017, property damage motor vehicle collisions were down 9% and personal injury motor vehicle collisions were down 2% from 2016.
Police will continue to focus their efforts at locations that pose a higher risk to the public based on past collision analytic data. “Our officers will continue to educate drivers about their behaviour behind the wheel. Road Safety is everyone’s responsibility. We all need to do our part behind the wheel to ensure our roadways are safe for everyone” said Sgt. Jared McLeod, District Response Unit.
Police will continue to focus on drivers who are driving impaired, distracted and aggressive behind the wheel in order to protect and ensure the safety of all residents.
These measures 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.
By Staff
April 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
While you were sleeping the Halton Regional Police Service were attempting to stop a Chev pickup truck at Walkers Line & Mainway.
It was 11:43 pm on April 18th – the driver of the pick-up refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated.
 High speed pursuit reached 140 km per hour – two cruisers collided – officer injured. The chase continued onto the QEW eastbound and was quickly terminated when the suspect driver began to reach speeds in excess of 140 km/h.
Two police cruisers collided during the pursuit and one officer suffered minor injuries and was transported to hospital.
The suspect vehicle was later set on fire in south Burlington and the suspects fled. The Fire Department attended and put the fire out.
The Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the collision on the QEW.
The police believe the three suspects involved stole a 2002 GMC Savannah Van Blue License AVZC492.
When police were pursuing the suspects managed to evade them and later abandoned the truck, set it on fire and fled.
The suspects were last seen headed W/B on the 403 in Hamilton.
Halton Police are continuing the investigation.
By Staff
April 13, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A reported sexual assault which occurred in Burlington on March 21st, 2017 is being investigated by the Halton Regional Police Service.
A 16 year old male was walking in the area of Palmer Drive and Bentworth Drive between 11:30pm and midnight when he approached a stopped vehicle. The victim was forced inside the vehicle by a male suspect where he was sexually assaulted by two males. The victim was eventually released a short distance away near Michael Crescent.
 Sexual assault reported to have taken place on the Palmer Drive community. The suspect vehicle is described as a black utility van with tinted front windows bearing a blue and yellow licence plate.
Suspect #1 is described as male, possibly Hispanic, 6’ 1”, heavy set build, wearing a black shirt, mask and a hood.
Suspect #2 is male, possibly Hispanic, 5’ 11”, wearing a black shirt, black mask and a hood.
There have been no other reported incidents involving these suspects to date.
A time delay in reporting the initial incident was encountered and police would like to warn the public to be vigilant with their safety and report any suspicious incidents to police immediately.
Police are asking anyone with information regarding this or similar incidents to contact Detective Rob Todd of the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit at 905-465-8975. Crime Stoppers
“See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web
By Staff
April 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
An investigation that started in 2015 has resulted in a number of criminal charges being laid by the Halton Regional Police – Regional Fraud Unit (HRPS-RFU) against a former Region of Halton employee.
It is alleged the 17 year former employee defrauded the Region of Halton of approximately $770,000 since 2008 by fraudulently administering /awarding Region contracts to a Hamilton based company named Sirron Systems Inc.
The HRPS-RFU became aware of Nicolas REWA’s fraud after the arrest in August 2016 of another former employee, David OHASHI, who was charged with similar offences.
HRPS – RFU have arrested and charged in relation to this incident:
• Nicolas REWA, 55 years, Mississauga, (Halton Region – Public Works Manager) is charged with 2 counts of Fraud over $5000, 2 counts Municipal Corruption, 2 counts Secret Commissions, 1 counts Laundering proceeds of crime, and 1 count of Property obtained by Crime,
• Marion REWA, 45 years, Mississauga, (wife of Nicolas Rewa) is charged with 1 count of Fraud over $5000, and 1 count of Possession of property obtained by crime,
• David NORRIS, 52 years, Stoney Creek, (Sirron Systems Inc. employee) is charged with 2 counts of Fraud over $5000, 2 counts Municipal Corruption, 2 counts Secret Commissions, 1 counts Laundering proceeds of crime, and 1 count of Property obtained by Crime.
The accused are scheduled to appear in Milton Provincial Court on Tuesday May 9th, 2017.
Anyone who may have information about this investigation is being asked to call investigators at the Regional Fraud Unit at 905-825-4747 ext 8739. Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
-30-
By Pepper Parr
April 12th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They are relentless.
Millions, tens of millions of email like the one below get sent out to lists of email addresses.
When you get one – read the address it came from very very carefully – they are all false, phony messages sent to you in the hope that you just might click on the message.
 Read the address this phony email came from. The name between the < > is the sender – not the Royal Bank. If you don’t recognize the name of the sender – don’t open the email. When you do that they have got a bit of a hook in you and they will slowly try and reel you in to the point where they have enough information to begin stealing your money.
The recipient of this message does not have an account with the Royal Bank
Dear (name erased to protect the recipient)
When these computer hackers get enough information from you – they can access your bank account and remove funds. During our usual security enhancement protocol, we observed a payment was placed on pending status due to the recent upgrade in our database. In order to receive this payment you are required to verify your account from our secure verification link.
To Receive payment kindly click :
Log on to www.royalbank.com/cgi-bin/rbaccess/rbunxcgi
Remember,RBC Royal Bank is committed to your security and protection. To find out more, take a look at our
Information Security section under Privacy and Security on the Web site.
© Royal Bank of Canada Website, © 1995-2017 All rights reserved.
Banks in Canada do not use email to advise you of any problems with your account.
By Staff
April 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The original report came in March 18th and with solid support from the community the police were able to identify and arrest three suspects and are now looking for two additional suspects for various theft and fraud offences.
Charged with various theft and fraud offences are:
Josh PARKIN (29) of Hamilton
Sean CARTER (32) of Hamilton
Keara CAMPBELL (24) of Hamilton
Police in Burlington would like to thank the public for their help positively identifying 3 of 4 theft/fraud suspects.
One suspect remains unidentified.
 Suspect yet to be identified. Police have also identified a 5th suspect using the stolen credit cards in Hamilton and are seeking further assistance from the public in identifying him.
The thefts overnight on March 14/15th from rural driveways in north Burlington. One victim had credit cards stolen which were used fraudulently at several locations in the City of Burlington. Four suspects were observed at the various locations.
 Suspect captured on video at a beer store. Theft from autos continue to be a concern in Burlington, particularly when windows are smashed to gain entry. A second series of thefts from vehicles occurred in the same rural area of Burlington overnight on March 16/17th. Police would like to remind people to avoid leaving valuables inside and/or in plain view. Police also encourage citizens to report any suspicious persons.
 Suspect captured on video at a Brick store. Anyone who can identify these suspects is asked to contact Det. Ellie Bale of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Property Crime Team @ 905-825-4747 ext 2312. 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).
By Staff
March 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
– It’s cliché but if it sounds too good to be true it likely is –
It’s Fraud Prevention Month and the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) announces its final scheduled Fraud of the Week: Inheritance and Lottery Scams.
The police have focused their public education on fraud and the damage it does to gullible people; usually older people who are not fully aware of what can be done to them via the internet.
 Inheritance and lottery scams typically target older individuals who do not use online banking services. This enables fraudsters to hijack victims’ bank accounts for money laundering with less likelihood of them noticing.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, scammers will send up to three million fraudulent letters or emails at a time. The notifications are sent to people around the world and, generally, close to 100,000 people respond. Many victims lose between $20 and $30, but some lose as much as $250,000.
In a typical inheritance scam, an older person receives an email or letter claiming that they are eligible to collect an inheritance. To receive the inheritance, they have a set period of time, usually about 14 days, to respond and provide their contact information by email. Those who reply go on to receive calls and emails from the fraudsters as well as a form requesting personal information.
Shortly thereafter, a cheque for more than a thousand dollars arrives in the mail. To receive the inheritance, victims are asked to cash the cheque and transfer a larger amount of money than the original cheque is worth to the holder of the inheritance. Days later the victim learns that the cheque is fraudulent and they are out the money they transferred.
 In a lottery scam, potential victims are contacted by an email, phone call, text message or pop up screen on their computer. They are advised that they have won a lottery or sweepstakes. Prior to receiving the prize, however, victims are required to pay taxes, duties or other administrative fees. Once the funds are sent, the victim never receives the prize or is sent an alternate prize than they were promised.
To ensure their continued success, con artists create new twists on both inheritance and lottery scams in an attempt to stay one step ahead of potential victims.
The following protection tips have been provided courtesy of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Competition Bureau:
• Remember: Legitimate lotteries do not require you to pay a fee or tax to collect winnings. Known lottery and sweepstakes companies such as Reader’s Digest and Publisher’s Clearinghouse will never request money upfront in order to receive a prize.
• Caution: Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust.
• Think: Don’t give out any banking information over the phone, through email or via text message.
• Investigate: Carefully examine all terms and conditions of any offer received. Claims of free or very cheap offers often have hidden costs.
• Ask yourself: Did I enter this contest? Why would a stranger leave me money? You more than likely cannot win money unless you have entered a contest nor inherit from someone you do not know.
• Important: Never provide personal information over the phone, no matter who the caller claims to represent.
Anyone with information pertaining to a fraud or any other crime is asked to contact the Regional Fraud Bureau  Intake Office at 905-465-8741 or Fraud@haltonpolice.ca. Tips can also be submitted anonymously 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).
By Staff
March 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has confirmed the firearm used in the March 16, 2017 murder-suicide at the Mejilla Chiropractic Clinic in Burlington was a small caliber handgun legally owned by, and registered to, the accused David Williamson (deceased).
Prior to the shooting, Williamson did not have any criminal contact with the HRPS, nor were police aware of any reported occurrences of domestic violence / disputes.
The Halton Regional Police Service is sensitive to the victims in this incident and has no further information suitable for release at this time.
Previously the Regional Police Service confirmed that the suspect in the double shooting at the Mejilla Chiropractic Clinic, 44 year-old David Williamson of Burlington, had died in hospital of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
By Staff
March 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service Fraud Bureau, in partnership with investigators from Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) have concluded an investigation into Identity Fraud.
In October 2016, a victim reported having a motor vehicle registered to him in which he had no knowledge. The victim became aware of the unauthorized registration as a result of receiving 407 ETR bills.
 Every car sold has to be registered to someone – that proved to be a problem to one victim – there are others. A subsequent investigation by the HRPS and OMVIC discovered an independent auto dealer in Milton responsible for the false registrations. Further an additional four people from the GTA were identified as victims of the same scam. The location of these falsely registered vehicles is unknown at this time, however HRPS believes one of the vehicles has been involved in a break and enter offence in Southern Ontario.
 A car dealership was abusing the process of registering cars. Police want to talk to anyone who finds that a car they never owned has been registered in their name. The HRPS, with assistance of OMVIC, executed search warrants at the Milton dealership and residence of the dealership principles.
As a result, two Mississauga men have been arrested and charged as follows:
Jan KOWALCZYK (59yrs), charged with 6 counts of Identity Fraud, 6 counts of Uttering Forged Documents
and
Justin KOWALCZYK (25yrs), charged with 5 counts of Identity Fraud and 5 counts of Uttering Forged Documents
Police and OMVIC have seen a growing trend in the false registration of vehicles for fraudulent gain. Police are seeking information from the public in this regard.
 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).
This is a serious one. The implications from this kind of fraud that has a vehicle registered to someone that knew nothing about the registration touches on insurance and liability issues. When the bandits get inside government organizations – there is a very serious problem.
By Staff
March 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
On January 14th 2017, two male suspects were seen at Costco in Burlington where they began to follow a customer who was observed purchasing several electronic items.
The suspects then followed the customer to Best Buy in Burlington at which time; one of the suspects phoned Best Buy posing as a Fraud Investigator and reported that the customer may be involved in fraudulent activity. Staff at Best Buy began watching this customer while the original two male suspects made several trips in and out of the store while stealing merchandise.
The two male suspects then followed the customer from Best Buy to a Lakeshore Road underground parking lot where the customer left his vehicle unattended with numerous electronic items valued at $3106.00 which had been purchased at Costco and Best Buy.
The suspects then smashed a passenger side window to gain entry into the victim’s vehicle and stole all of the electronics.
 Unidentified shop lifter captured on video leaving Best Buy Police have identified one of the two male suspects as Gerald Daniel BLANCHARD, 45 of Vancouver, British Columbia who also uses the alias of Ricky WHITE. He was arrested and charged with two counts of theft under $5000 and one count of mischief under $5000. He will appear in Milton court on March 29th 2017.
Police have yet to identify the second suspect who is described as a white male in his 40’s with a heavy build wearing blue jeans, white t-shirt with a black jacket and baseball cap.
These thieves had no idea how deep the police coverage is in the high traffic retail locations.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Mark Urie the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Crime Team @ 905-825-4747 Ext. 2338. 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).
By Staff
March 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Between March 10th and March 20th 2017, unknown suspect(s) stole a 1999 International Model 3800 72 passenger school bus which had been listed for sale from a parking lot on the North Service Road near Appleby Line in Burlington.
The school bus is yellow in colour with Ontario licence plates BK8359 and “Hamilton Christian Transportation Services” written on the side of it (Pictures of similar bus attached)
 Anyone with information is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau @ 905-825-4747 Ext. 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).
By Staff
March 21, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Bikes that go for $4000 and $5100 a pop have been stolen from garages in the city that were left open. Police succeeded in recovering the bikes.
A thief appears to have scoped out a number of locations that had high end bikes in the garage and then made a trip back to snatch them, load them into his vehicle and drive off.
Didn’t work out as planned.
 On March 7th 2017 between 11:00 AM and 9:30 PM, a black with neon green trim Scott Genius mountain bike valued at $4000.00 was stolen from an open garage on Blue Spruce Ave. in Burlington.
On March 13th 2017 at approximately 1:50 PM, a male suspect was seen stealing a black with white framed Cipollini bicycle valued at $5100.00 from an open garage on Casselman Court in Burlington. The suspect was seen fleeing in a grey Jeep Wrangler and a licence plate was obtained.
Members of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Crime Team identified and arrested Trevor ARMSTRONG (30-yrs) of Grimsby in relation to both these thefts.
 He was charged with two counts of break, enter & commit theft and one count of possession of property obtained by crime. ARMSTRONG was released on a Promise to Appear in Milton Court on April 12th 2017.
Police want to remind residents to take precautions to ensure your homes and garages are secure and to report suspicious people and/or vehicles in your neighbourhood to police immediately.
Anyone with information about this or any other break and enter and/or bike theft is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau @ 905-825-4747 Ext. 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).
By Staff
March 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We are into the annual Fraud Prevention Month during which the Halton Regional Police Service Regional Fraud Unit will be hosting a Fraud Awareness Information Session on Thursday, March 23, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. in the Region of Halton Auditorium (1151 Bronte Road in Oakville).
Members of the public are invited to attend the free evening event to learn more about the growing fraud trend in Halton Region and how to protect themselves from becoming victims. Officers with the Unit will be discussing typical scams they have encountered and will provide a series of valuable crime prevention tips. They will also review recent criminal investigations they have undertaken in the past year or so. The session will be followed by a question and answer period.
Reservations are not required and light refreshments will be provided.
For additional information on emergency scams, follow us on Twitter (@HaltonPolice) or visit www.haltonpolice.ca/about/specializedunits/fraud.php
Anyone with information pertaining to a fraud or any other crime is asked to contact the Regional Fraud Bureau Intake Office at 905-465-8741 or Fraud@haltonpolice.ca. Tips can also be submitted anonymously 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).
By Pepper Parr
March 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If your household is anything like mine the Netflix subscription is key to whatever time there is for home entertainment or the occasional binge on a series you just learned about.
Lie to Me keeps me away from the writing – I tend to take in three or four episodes at a time
So when an email showed up saying there was a glitch in renewing the subscription I pay close attention, I didn’t want to be cut off.
I use a prepaid credit card for everything I buy online; that allows me to limit any loss that might occur should someone manage to actually get their mitts on the way I pay for things.
I thought maybe I had forgotten to top up the amount on the card.
If you don’t know what a prepaid credit card is – talk to your bank manager. A safe proof way to protect your real credit and at the same time limit any loss.
I have taught myself to look at the url on every piece of email that comes in related to money.
The url is the the name of the address the email came from. In his instance it read: (EXPLAIN)
Take a look at the url on this example: Netflix <noreply@netflix.ssl1.com> Anyone could have made up that email address. You could go on line now and create an email address that reads @netflix.ssl2.com
 This notice was not from Netflix; it was from someone who wanted me to click on that blue line which would direct me to a website where they could begin milking me for personal identity information. Don’t get pulled into things like this – look at the url
This is a legitimate Netflix email url: Netflix <info@mailer.netflix.com>
This was a scam – you can teach yourself the same little tricks and keep your bank happy at the same time.
Few people have any idea how much time the banks have to spend handling the return o funds that were taken illegally from an account. That plus the money that have to pay out.
The cardinal rule is this: If in doubt – don’t. And if it looks to good to be true – it usually isn’t true. Trust your instincts and reign in the greed all of us have.
By Staff
March 20, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a time that all you had to do was skip town and your problems with the local police force came to an end. The advent of social media put an end to that loop hole.
The long arm of the law stretches from coast to coast to coast. For the 22 year-old male sitting in Hamilton’s Barton Street jail awaiting extradition to California for hacking into the Yahoo web site and making off with billions of names with all kinds of data attached to them, that arm was quite a bit longer.
The police now have tools that are difficult to defeat.
 Halton Regional Police won’t be using motor cycles to bring back the two fugitives from British Columbia. They will be flown and the word will get out that the police are harder to evade these days. Members of Halton Regional Police Service’s Risk Mitigation Team (RMT) announced that they have arrested and returned two wanted individuals to Ontario who fled the province in attempts to avoid prosecution.
Over the past few weeks, RMT officers developed lists of wanted individuals, confirmed that warrants were still in effect, and completed background checks on the intended targets. Working with the RCMP in Surrey, British Columbia, two individuals were identified and arrested. Combined they face 14 charges, including Possession of Stolen Credit Card, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Breach of Probation, Uttering Forged Documents, Theft Under $5000, Fraud Under $5000, and Fail to Re-Attend Court.
The names of the two individuals and associated charges they face are:
Joanne WALKER-CALLUM (49 yrs) of Surrey, British Colombia – Possession of stolen credit card X4, Breach of Probation, Theft Under $5000, Uttering a forged document X2, and Fail to re-attend Court.
Blanka DOLEZALOVA (53 Yrs) of Surrey, British Columbia – Possession of Property Obtained by Crime X2, Theft Under $5000, Fraud Under $5000, and Fail to re-attend Court. She is also facing charges with the Ontario Provincial Police
Anyone with information on wanted parties or parties who are breaching their conditions of release is asked to contact Sgt. Paul Harrower (Milton/Halton Hills) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2467, D/Cst. Tim Woollands (Oakville) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2208, or D/Cst Calvin Bulbrook (Burlington) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2387.
Tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
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