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OACP Daily In The News
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Today’s News Briefs:
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Ontario minister to announce changes to police use-of-force guidelines (Global News – Toronto)
Use of Force options to be introduced (CHCH.com – Toronto)
Georgina park dedicated to Garrett Styles (York Region)
RECAP: OPP costing committee (Brockville Recorder & Times)
C-K constable will cycle in cancer fundraiser (Chatham Daily News)
NRP looking for a few good men and women (St. Catharines Standard)
Durham police to charge cop over derogatory tweet to Ontario Ombudsman (Toronto Star)
Secrecy surrounds return of police board vice-chair (Waterloo Record)
Toronto crisis team turns to social media to save lives (Toronto Star)
Back to School Safety message from Police Chief Paul Cook (Bay Today)
Cops, CAA push perils of distracted driving in Barrie (Simcoe.com – Barrie)
OPP crackdown on distracted driving this weekend (Sudbury Star)
Uniformed officers to ride school buses (Hamilton Spectator)
Police stepping up patrols around school zones (Inside Halton)
Windsor police say arsons ‘way up’ from last year (CBC News – Windsor)
Minister Meilleur says province needs more jail beds (Sarnia Observer)
Minister spares Sarnia but Chatham Jail still on death row (Chatham Daily News – Sarnia)
Crime unit keeping “bad guys off the street” (Simcoe.com)
London city hall’s inaction over east London trouble spot prompts a new kind of candid camera (London
Free Press)
Does the Highway Traffic Act apply to parking lots? (Brampton Guardian)
Police say gangs at centre of recent Toronto gun violence (CBC News – Toronto)
Killer trades Calgary gang info for freedom, court document shows (CBC News – Calgary)
International News:
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Tougher sex offender restrictions sought by campaigners (Guardian, UK)
Ill. Expands Recording of Police Interrogations (Officer.com – Illinois)
Today’s News Briefs:
Ontario minister to announce changes to police use-of-force guidelines (Global
News – Toronto)
Ontario is changing its use-of-force guidelines for police in the wake of the shooting death of an 18-year-old by
Toronto officers.
Madeleine Meilleur, minister of community safety and correctional services is scheduled to make an “important
announcement” about use-of-force options available to police officers in Ontario during a press conference
Tuesday morning.
Police use-of-force tactics have been under scrutiny after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim who was
shot multiple times by a police officer, then tasered, while aboard a TTC streetcar on Dundas Street West.
The officer who allegedly shot Yatim has been charged with second-degree murder.
Rank-and-file police officers in Toronto only have access to pepper spray and batons as non-lethal weapons when
on patrol. Only supervisors and Emergency Task Force officers can also carry conductive energy weapons –
commonly referred to as Tasers.
Chris Menary, a security expert at the Menary Group, suggested in an interview with Global News in July that
police officers of all ranks need more non-lethal options.
“All officers should be armed with these options. I don’t know why supervisors are the only ones,” Menary said.
“You have to give them these options to deal with these threats that are coming up.”
Yatim’s death has sparked three investigations into police conduct. The Special Investigations Unit charged
Constable James Forcillo with second degree murder in connection to Yatim’s death, Chief Bill Blair launched an
investigation headed by former chief justice Dennis O’Connor and Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin has launched
an investigation into de-escalation tactics used by police throughout Ontario.
Use of Force options to be introduced (CHCH.com)
CHCH News has learned that on Tuesday, Ontario’s Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services will
make an announcement that could change policing across the province.
And its comes in the wake of the police shooting of 18-year old Sammy Yatim on a TTC streetcar.
Elise Copps has the details.
Stjepan and Anica Mesic will never know whether a taser could have saved their son’s life.
“If they had that then when our son was killed, maybe he would be still alive today.”
45-year old Steve Mesic was shot dead by Hamilton police on June 7th.
Then late last month 18-year old Sammy Yatim was killed on a TTC streetcar by a Toronto police officer. Constable
James Forcillo is now facing second degree murder charges.
Both deaths sparked public outrage with people asking why deadly force was necessary.
“He’d be alive today had they had a trained police man and an equipped police man with what he needed.”
Critics say what he needed was a taser, and soon Ontario’s Public Safety Minister will recommend just that.
Madeleine Meilleur will urge all police forces to provide every front line officer with a taser.
“It’s a safety issue. It’s a safety issue for the public as well because it’s a less intrusive way of taking some people
into custody. So we’re glad that the government appears to be making that move.”
The former head of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and current Chief of Halton Police, says that move is
a long time coming.
“This will be another in between weapon which will be short of an officer maybe having to use a firearm.”
That alternative to a gun could mean the difference between life and death during a police confrontation. And
though it may be too late for Steve Mesic, his family hopes it can keep from the same fate.
“Since nobody could bring out son back, hopefully by this lives could be saved.”
Georgina park dedicated to Garrett Styles (York Region)
The memory of a fallen York Regional Police officer will live on for years to come with the naming of a Keswick park
in his honour last week.
“Garrett will always be remembered for his unwavering dedication to duty, his community and his family. And for
living the York Regional Police motto — deeds speak,” said Police Chief Eric Jolliffe during the dedication ceremony
of Garrett Styles Park in the Simcoe Landing subdivision last Thursday.
The chief thanked the municipality, as well as Metrus, for a wonderful gesture of honour and respect for the fallen
police constable, who died in the line of duty during a tragic traffic stop in East Gwillimbury June 28, 2011.
Const. Styles was struck and killed when a 15-year-old unlicensed driver allegedly attempted to flee a traffic stop.
The 32-year-old officer died, while the accused, who stands charged with first-degree murder, was paralyzed from
the neck down.
“We were and still are humbled by the outpouring of support for our members and the members of the Styles
family following Garrett’s death,” he added, referring to the numerous community organizations, businesses and
residents all across York Region that have offered their assistance, support and sympathy.
Well liked by his colleagues and a leader in his platoon, Const. Styles embraced his profession and willingly
accepted a life of risk for the good of his community by following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a police
officer, Chief Jolliffe said.
He added his thanks on behalf of a 2,200-member police force that remains grateful for the many people who
“stood behind us and with us”, as well as his hope Garrett’s legacy through the naming of the park would offer
some measure of comfort to Const. Styles’ family and colleagues.
“The apple doesn’t fall from the tree,” said YRP Insp. DeLorenzi, who knew Const. Styles from a young age and who
worked alongside both Garrett and his father, Gary.
“Garrett wasn’t a good cop, he was a great cop. He was just like his old man,” he said, just before the unveiling in
front of a large crowd that included the fallen officer’s wife, Melissa, and the couple’s two young children.
Georgina Mayor Rob Grossi said Thursday’s event was a sombre, but great, occasion to honour the ultimate
sacrifice the constable made on behalf of his community and a fitting tribute to a dedicated family man in the
Keswick neighbourhood he called home.
The two-acre park at the foot of Laurendale Avenue that includes a splash pad and playground is a wonderful
testament to Garrett’s legacy as a police officer and family man, said Glenda Drisdelle, one of the many extended
family members in attendance at the grand opening.
That included his parents, Carol and Gary, his grandmother, siblings, friends, colleagues, Georgina residents,
council members and fire department personnel, as well as five-year veteran of the police force, Joe Styles, who
petitioned the town to dedicate the park to his cousin.
“It’s a beautiful park and a fitting and wonderful tribute to Const. Styles,” said Keswick resident Kay Munz, who
attended the event with her friend, Marylou Clements.
“It must still be very hard on the wife and the family, but I hope they get some comfort from it,” added Ms
Clements.
Const. Styles father, Gary, said the park is not only an appropriate legacy and good memorial to his son, but to all
good fathers and parents also.
RECAP: OPP costing committee (Brockville Recorder & Times)
Expected reforms to the way the Ontario Provincial Police bills the municipalities it serves may prolong Brockville's
OPP costing, city officials heard Monday.
At the latest meeting of council's OPP contact ad hoc committee, Sgt. Michael Milner, an analyst with the
provincial force's municipal policing bureau, said it was unclear what impact the reform process may have.
“That may impact when the proposal is completed, when we're able to deliver it,” Milner told committee members
via teleconference.
The committee entrusted with the nuts-and-bolts work of the OPP costing process is still preparing to receive the
OPP's proposals in mid-October.
The OPP is consulting with municipalities about reforming how it bills them. The process is expected to result in
changes to the billing method that will be presented to the provincial government for a decision.
Depending on the timing of those proposed changes, Brockville's OPP proposals will either be delayed or have to
be changed, Mayor David Henderson suggested.
Per-household costs for OPP services vary widely across the province's more than 300 OPP-policed municipalities,
causing frustration and calls for change, noted the mayor.
In Brockville, the per-household cost of policing under the city force is currently in the $700 range. “On any
measure of the scale, we're at the top end,” added Henderson.
Other than the timing of the OPP's proposals, much of the meeting focused on planned public consultations about
the costing process. They include a public presentation, with OPP officials present, scheduled for council's regular
meeting of September 10.
Former councillor Louise Severson, head of the pro-city-force citizens' group Citizens Offering Police Support
(COPS), was not pleased with suggestions the city might hold one or two public meetings, which she said is
“definitely not enough.”
Henderson, however, said there is no set limit to the number of public meetings that could be held. He referred to
the public process as a “feedback loop.”
“There's no definition of whether there's one, two or 10,” said the mayor.
“At the end of the day, this exercise is all about what the community wants and what their needs are,” added city
manager Bob Casselman.
Milner fielded questions about specific differences between current municipal and OPP policing. The sergeant said
the OPP does not get involved in bylaw enforcement, although it would handle bylaw matters that are policing
related.
Henderson later said this would replicate the status quo, where such bylaw issues as noise complaints are handled
by police officers, while city-contracted commissionaires handle other bylaws.
Milner answered a question raised at last month's meeting about the number of emergency response team (ERT)
officers the OPP might provide in a contract.The OPP has apportioned 49 ERT officers in its East Region, which
includes Brockville, said Milner.
Those officers are spread out among the region's detachments.
“The larger the detachment is, the more (ERT) members that would be at that detachment.”
He added a Brockville detachment would likely be considered “medium to larger size,” depending on the model
adopted.
Brockville Police Chief John Gardiner reiterated that the city has two ERT officers per platoon.
“There are always two ERT officers working in Brockville on any shift,” said the chief.
Councillor Jason Baker is seeking reassurances that, under an OPP service contract, the city would see the relief it
is expecting from the province's assumption of court security costs.
FACT BOX:
OPP COSTING
Brockville is now involved in what will likely be a months-long process to determine whether the city would save
money by replacing its 181-year-old police force with an OPP contract.
OPP officials have said an “integrated” policing model, with Brockville hosting the headquarters of an expanded
Leeds County detachment, will likely be the most logical option.
By request, the OPP will also present a costing for a stand-alone city detachment.
Reporter Ronald Zajac tweeted live from Brockville council's Ontario Provincial Police "contact committee"
meeting beginning at 5:30. The committee is overseeing the process of getting an OPP costing, before city council
decides in the coming months whether to disband the Brockville Police Service and replace it with an OPP service
contract.
Link: http://www.recorder.ca/2013/08/26/live-coverage-opp-costing-committee
C-K constable will cycle in cancer fundraiser (Chatham Daily News)
For one tough cop, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment were just bumps in the road of life.
In March, Const. Mike Currie, 53, of the Chatham-Kent Police Service was diagnosed with a major form of skin
cancer in a lymph node on his neck. Currie, a husband and father of three daughters, said it was fortunate the
doctors recognized the cancer so quickly and were able to schedule him for neck dissection surgery in April.
“It's a hard go and it can happen to anybody,” said Currie. “It's amazing how it changes everything.”
In June, Currie underwent six weeks of radiation treatment and three rounds of chemotherapy to help ensure the
cancerous cells were eradicated. He said at first the treatment didn't affect his day-to-day life at all, but by the last
two weeks it began to catch up to him.
“I was really down for a couple weeks because I wasn't eating. I couldn't eat anything hardly because it was hard to
swallow,” he said. “It's taxing on me… It's taxing on my wife who's here seeing me sit in a chair and not being able
to eat.”
Currie said he's still waiting to find out if the cancer has been fully removed but said he's confident the treatment
was successful. He added the doctors were also very confident in his recovery.
“I don't think they're ever going to tell me that I'm free and clear,” he said. “But they'll tell me it's in remission or
they've taken that part of it out.”
The 32-year veteran of the police service said he's received tremendous support throughout his treatment from his
wife and daughters, as well as his “work family”. Currie said his colleagues in blue insisted on driving him to almost
all of his appointments at the London Health Sciences Centre.
“My shift stepped up,” he said. “(They) said, 'No, we're going to do this, we need to do this. We want to help you
out'.” he said. “I've had so much support, from the chief right on down.
“It was nice to have the company to drive down there,” he added.
Despite all he's been through, Currie said his profession as a cop has allowed him to look at his situation with
optimistic eyes, knowing things could be much worse.
“It's been a bit of a struggle but not compared to what some people are dealing with,” he said. “As a police officer
you get to see all kinds of things.”
As a traffic cop, Currie said he has handled his fair share of serious injuries and fatal collisions and it's given him a
different perspective on life. He said being mentally prepared for every outcome has allowed him to stay positive
throughout his entire ordeal with cancer.
“The chance to have the extra outlook and perspective (I've) had throughout (my) career – I think it helps. I think it
gives you the strength to say, 'Hey, this isn't that bad. There are a lot of other things that are worse than this',” said
Currie. “This is a little glitch that has gone wrong for me.
“In perspective, I've had six weeks of treatment over 53 years (of my life)... Six weeks? I can suffer through that,”
he said.
Currie said he's eager to get back to work before the end of the year.
“Hopefully sooner than later... It's been a long haul,” he said. “I really want to go back to work. I love my job.”
Currie is also one of approximately 15 Chatham-Kent police officers who will be participating in the upcoming
Cycling for Hope event in Chatham to help raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Currie has collected over
$2,000 in pledges and is hoping to raise up to $8,000 before the bike-riding event on Sept. 7.
Currie said he initially wasn't sure if he'd be strong enough to participate in event following his treatment. But
after some time to heal, he's ready to ride.
“I'm on the mend, I'm ready to go,” he said.
Currie said he plans to complete the 20 km bike ride.
For more information on Cycling for Hope in Chatham or to make a donation, visit cancer.ca and click events.
NRP looking for a few good men and women (St. Catharines Standard)
Niagara Regional Police are seeing more and more applicants choosing policing as a second career, as the service
fills gaps left by officers retiring.
While younger students continue to apply to the service straight out of school, the NRP is seeing an increase in
applicants from all walks of life.
“We’re getting a lot of (applicants in their) 30s and 40s,” said Sgt. Sandy Staniforth of the NRP recruitment unit.
“Some have jumped into a career and decided it wasn’t for them, or some have lost their careers and have decided
‘Now is the time to get where I wanted initially.’”
Women are also entering policing after putting careers on hold to raise families, she said.
Recruitment by the NRP is a year-round process as the service continually works to fill openings as the baby boom
generation retires.
“I know that potentially we have a high number of officers that could walk out the door at any time,” Staniforth
said. “Until they walk out the door and put their papers in, we can’t hire to replace them.”
Finding qualified candidates can be tough, and the NRP doesn’t always fill the spaces it has reserved at the Ontario
Police College with new recruits.
The NRP hired 17 applicants two weeks ago, bringing the number of new recruits to about 25 so far this year.
Thirteen of those will go to police college in September and graduate by the end of November. The four other hires
were from other police services and can hit the ground running.
“Every service is hiring within their limits of what they can, but personally I think Niagara has got a lot to offer,”
Staniforth said, adding the salary is competitive with every other service but cost of living is better in Niagara.
Also, the region’s location is accessible to entertainment and travel.
The service recently hired some applicants in their 40s. Staniforth said some older candidates may have more life
experience that can help them with the sometimes bizarre scenarios police encounter.
“As long as you can do the testing and finish the training and get through the process, you’re really, I think, an
attractive candidate.”
The recruitment unit is holding an information session at the end of September to explain the process of becoming
a police officer, which Staniforth said is more involved than a lot of applicants believe.
The service is looking for people who have an educational background, are mature, have integrity and are willing
to serve the community.
They have to go through a certification process through the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police for
comprehension, physical and behavioral testing before going through three rounds of interviews by the NRP.
Special skills are a bonus.
“In the olden days, you could say you were looking for big, strong people who can fight crime — we’re a lot more
technologically savvy nowadays,” she said. “We need people who can keep up with that technology and fit those
specialty units down the line.”
NRPS information session:
When: Sept. 25, 7 to 9 p.m.
Where: Niagara Regional Police station, 110 James St., St. Catharines
What: Learn about the service and what makes a good candidate
Contact: RSVP to [email protected]
Women’s symposium on policing:
When: Oct. 5, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 180 Derry Rd. E., Mississauga
What: A look at women in policing. Niagara, Peel, Halton and Hamilton police departments and the OPP join
together with information and displays
Contact: Register by Aug. 30 by e-mailing [email protected]
Durham police to charge cop over derogatory tweet to Ontario Ombudsman
(Toronto Star)
Durham Region police say they will charge a senior detective, and not a fellow officer whom Ontario Ombudsman
André Marin publicly identified as the source of a tweet calling him a terrorist.
Police said Monday that an internal investigation found the detective had opened the Twitter account of a
vacationing officer without his knowledge or consent.
In a statement, Durham police said the detective, who was not identified, will face a charge or charges under
discipline provisions of the Police Services Act.
Police said they would identify the detective at his discipline hearing. The force added it has not suspended the
officer but removed him from current duties.
Earlier this month, Marin told reporters that a Twitter user with the name “Joe Mayo” tweeted that the
Ombudsman was a “carded member” of al Qaeda.
The tweeter also called Marin a derogatory term and suggested he keep out of business where he didn’t belong.
Marin disclosed the name of an officer as the source of the tweet when he announced his office was investigating
police guidelines for de-escalating a potential violent situation in the aftermath of the shooting Sammy Yatim on a
Toronto streetcar.
Marin could not be reached for immediate comment on the Durham police disclosure.
Durham police said they had reached out several times to interview Marin about the incident but have yet to
speak to him.
The Durham decision follows recent confirmation by Toronto Fire Chief Jim Sales that his department had
suspended two firefighters for inappropriate tweets about women.
Secrecy surrounds return of police board vice-chair (Waterloo Record)
The head of the local police board won't say if reinstated vice-chair Kim Denouden has been cleared of
wrongdoing.
Denouden, a former mayor of North Dumfries Township, was suspended in July while an independent watchdog
investigated offensive comments she allegedly made to an officer.
She returned to her paid post Aug. 21 after the board was informed by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission that
it had completed its probe and wouldn't be holding a formal hearing.
But in an interview Monday after issuing a news release about Denouden's reinstatement, board chair Tom
Galloway refused to say whether the outcome means she did nothing wrong.
"I can't say if she did or she didn't," he said.
Denouden, who has been on the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board since 2010, could not be reached for
comment.
Ani Asik, a spokesperson for the commission, declined in an email to answer any questions about the case due to
confidentiality provisions in the Police Services Act.
Galloway said the allegations against Denouden should never have been made public and the board only
addressed them after a leak to the media.
He said the investigative process is so closed that the board received only a short letter from the commission once
the probe was completed.
"They do this in complete secrecy," Galloway said. "Even to us, they don't really make much available."
Asked if it's safe to assume Denouden was cleared by the commission since it isn't taking the matter to a hearing,
he would not answer.
Likewise, Galloway refused to say whether he won't answer that question because of privacy concerns or because
he simply doesn't know.
"I'm not going to try to characterize what they found one way or the other," he said. "It's a private and confidential
matter."
Galloway has said at least one other police officer was present when the comments by Denouden were allegedly
made this spring.
The matter came to the attention of Chief Matt Torigian. He informed the board, which involved the commission
to ensure the allegations were taken seriously.
Although even the general nature of the alleged comments has not been made public, officials have said they were
serious enough, if true, to be a breach of the board's code of conduct.
Toronto crisis team turns to social media to save lives (Toronto Star)
Real Time Crisis uses an innovative suicide intervention strategy – it goes directly, via social media, to people
crying out for help.
“Can I help?”
Those three words can save lives.
1
In fact, they are the very words that Anne Marie Batten — a Toronto street nurse involved in an innovative suicide
intervention strategy — sends out over and over via Twitter as she talks down people in distress, some on the
verge of taking their lives.
For the past 18 months, Batten and Toronto police Const. Scott Mills have been working on a fledgling non-profit
organization to help the mentally ill 24 hours a day on social media. They’ve dubbed it Real Time Crisis.
“We’d rather not shoot somebody that’s in crisis,” said Mills.
His employer, the Toronto police force, has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks over how its officers deal
with the emotionally disturbed after one of them fatally shot 18-year-old Sammy Yatim on a streetcar in late July.
The officer has since been charged with second-degree murder.
Batten and Mills say there has been a staggering increase in digital cry-outs as more and more people use social
media. People going through a crisis will tweet suicidal intentions. Friends will notice it and pass on their worries to
the Toronto police.
In many instances, the police contact Batten, who tries to engage the troubled person, often with a public tweet.
She then switches over to Twitter’s direct message function, which is private, and from there the assessment
begins.
“When you’re talking with someone on social media, it’s unbelievable how open people will be,” Batten said.
“They feel safer online.”
Most, she said, just need someone to listen as they get their troubles off their chest.
But Batten looks for cues and gathers personal information, such as the location of the person at the other end, in
case she must loop the police back in if the crisis cannot be talked through digitally.
After Batten successfully calms a person down, she then puts them in touch with local resources and keeps up a
relationship, following up digitally.
She finds the people she helps are generally those who’d rather communicate online or by smartphone than turn
to such traditional means as phone-in crisis centres or personal sessions with a mental health professional.
Mills and Batten began discussing intervention via social media after the success they had with Real Leclair, a man
nicknamed Homeless Joe suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
Three years ago, during the tense G20 summit weekend in downtown Toronto, Joe threatened to kill several police
officers. Mills recognized that the confrontation involved mental illness; he talked Leclair down and took him for
coffee. It was through this that Mills got in contact with Batten via Twitter.
The two helped Leclair navigate the complicated mental health system. He is now on medication and has an
apartment.
Mills knows police need mental health professionals’ assistance in these situations.
“Police intervention has to be the last resort — because in many cases that makes the situation much worse,” he
said.
That sentiment was echoed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police at a conference in Winnipeg last
Wednesday.
“Police should not be the front line on mental health issues,” said Vancouver police chief Jim Chu, the association
president. “We need to shift from a point of crisis to preventing the crisis from occurring in the first place.”
Toronto police are intrigued by the work carried out by Mills and Batten, as are other bodies, among them GO
Transit, the Toronto District School Board and Google.
“As the prevalence of social media grows, these issues are going to grow and there needs to be a co-ordinated
effort to respond in a way that gets the best response possible for the person in need, whether it be a response
from police, mental health, community agency or all of the above,” Meaghan Gray, issues manager with the
Toronto Police Service.
“Real Time Crisis will bring these resources together in a way that will make them accessible to not just the service
partners but, more importantly, to the community.”
2
Batten and Mills have secured a spot at The Gatehouse , a renovated building on the grounds of the long-closed
Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, where they can set up their crisis centre. They envision a bank of computers and
smart phones and a team communicating in cyberspace with those in crisis.
“We’re there in real time with someone on the edge of the railway tracks,” Batten said. “And no one else is doing
that.”
Back to School Safety message from Police Chief Paul Cook (Bay Today)
It was good while it lasted: summer vacations, swimming pool parties and backyard barbecues. However, it’s time
to start thinking about back-to-school activities with a reminder about safety and the expectations of increased
traffic as students head back to school.
Next Tuesday will see an increase morning rush of cars, SUVs, minivans and the four-way flashing lights of Schools
buses. Students from primary school to university and collage will begin the pilgrimage to and from; on foot, bikes,
boards, school buses and City Transit. Time management is a critical planning factor when we know there will be
increased traffic congestion caused by thousands of local students heading back to class. The North Bay Police
Service is asking all drivers to be vigilant and to be extra careful in the mornings and afternoon hours when school
traffic is at its peak.
Staff Sergeant Rick Dubeau and Constable Joe Whitehead of the NBPS Traffic Unit are asking everyone to be
patient as back-to-school traffic hits our roadways. Studies show that traffic is always the worst for the first few
days of a new school year as everyone gets into their back-to-school mindset and parents learn, or re-learn, their
loading and unloading routines.
Please take some time this week to go over a few back-to-school driving reminders with your family:
 Plan ahead. Leave a few minutes early and build in extra time for congestion. Remember to take extra
precautions, especially the first day of school. It can be a little hectic as children are excited about getting back in
the classroom and seeing their friends. They may forget about caution and safety.
 Come to a complete stop at intersections with stop signs. Research shows that more than one third of drivers
roll through stop signs in school zones and neighborhoods.
 Always stop for loading or unloading school buses. It may be tempting to drive around stopped school buses, but
not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law.
 Parents of teenage drivers need to remind their teen to obey the traffic law and use caution. It’s better to be
late than not show up at all.
If we take our time and make obeying traffic laws a priority, the first days of school can be safe ones for our
children. Let’s stay alert and drive cautiously through posted school zones.
Chief Paul Cook
Cops, CAA push perils of distracted driving in Barrie (Simcoe.com – Barrie)
Good thing I wasn’t texting my editor.
I struggled to text and steer and typed “texting while seiviicibfg is a no win situatropov.”
Still, I managed to make it through a rather narrow and curvaceous course in a parking lot Monday morning with
Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood beside me.
I actually wondered if I couldn’t get my message out, what was the point?
It was all part of a media event, hosted by the police service and Douglas Ford, to demonstrate the perils of
distracted driving.
With its $155 fine but no demerit points, the practice became illegal in 2009.
“Everybody, at some point, has used their mobile device in their vehicle and has been distracted from the task at
hand – driving safely in our community. Legislation has been passed to say it’s not acceptable, but people continue
to do it. Our message is ‘Stop’,” said Greenwood, who noted police are working to make distracted driving as
culturally unacceptable as impaired driving.
But that requires a cultural shift, as drivers of all ages have been caught on their mobile devices.
Traffic services Sgt. Glen Furlong said getting numbers on collisions involving cellphones is difficult, although the
force’s “Text You Later” campaign nabbed 47 drivers in a two-hour period at the west end of downtown.
Drivers using cellphones are four times as likely to be in a crash, he added.
“In three seconds at 60 km/h, you travel 50 metres — half the distance of a football field. That’s enough to cause
death or serious injury.”
The two to three seconds it takes to read an email or text is all it takes to hit the car ahead, he added.
The CAA is also encouraging you to focus on driving. Its Missing campaign, launched this month, highlights the few
seconds texting, talking, eating and adjusting the radio can cost in terms of being alive and able to enjoy the
special moments.
Its online survey revealed 43 per cent of drivers still chat and 41 per cent email and text.
That $150 fine may not be as costly as those few seconds of safety, the CAA stresses.
And now that I’m at my desk and focusing on the task at hand, I’ve got the message right: “texting while driving is a
no-win situation.”
OPP crackdown on distracted driving this weekend (Sudbury Star)
Ontario Provincial Police are warning motorists they will be cracking down on distracted drivers during heightened
enforcement planned for the Labour Day weekend.
Police say distracted driving is of particular concern as children head back to school because distraction-related
collision fatalities in OPP jurisdiction continue to surpass impaired driving-related deaths this year.
Everyone travelling on roads and highways should be equally concerned about this alarming trend, says the
provincial police service.
“Most people would not get into a vehicle with an impaired driver and they are at as much risk in the presence of a
distracted driver as an impaired driver,” says Chief Supt. Don Bell, commander of the OPP Highway Safety Division.
If you are a passenger and the driver is not completely focused on driving, is talking on a cellphone or texting,
remind him or her they are endangering your life and you want them to stop, said Bell.
“So far this year, 47 of the 177 people killed in motor vehicle collisions in OPP jurisdiction involved distracted
driving, compared to 32 impaired driving-related collision deaths,” said Deputy Commissioner Larry Beechey,
provincial commander of Traffic Safety and Operational Support.
“Our statistics make it clear beyond a doubt that road users need to pay greater attention to this problem and get
on board with our efforts to stop it rather than wait for a devastating tragedy to occur,” he said.
Speeding and other aggressive driving behaviour, impaired driving and seat-belt compliance will also be on the
OPP’s radar over the long weekend. Boaters and off-road vehicle users should also be prepared to see a strong
OPP presence on waterways and trails.
Uniformed officers to ride school buses (Hamilton Spectator)
For many Hamilton kids, back to school means bus to school. For the rest of us, that means sharing city streets
with the big yellow vehicles.
Project Protector aims to ensure a smooth, safe transition into the school season. Beginning Sept. 3, the Hamilton
Police Service will place uniformed officers on various buses (selected based on complaints by bus drivers). These
officers will work in tandem with roaming patrol cruisers to address unsafe driving practices.
In the past, the onus has been on bus drivers to report driving infractions. Project Protector lets drivers focus on
the road. An additional benefit is that on-board officers can act as court witnesses to the event rather than having
to call on the bus driver.
Project Protector will run from Sept. 3 to 6 with a second round taking place the week of Oct. 15.
Police stepping up patrols around school zones (Inside Halton)
Student safety at the start of another school year is the focus of a police enforcement initiative.
On Monday, Sept. 2 Halton Regional Police will once again initiate the annual traffic safety initiative Project Safe
Start.
This is the eighth year Halton police has conducted the campaign, which focuses on education, awareness and
high-visibility enforcement of traffic laws in and around school zones.
The campaign runs until Sept. 13, the first two weeks that Halton school children return to classes.
“Pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and the police all play an integral role in ensuring safer roads within Halton
Region,” states a Halton police press release.
Halton residents have ranked traffic as the No. 1 policing priority in previous surveys, the release added.
School-zone enforcement will focus on speeders, aggressive drivers and the use of hand-held electronic devices
while driving. Seatbelt compliance also will be strictly enforced.
Frontline officers, district response officers, Education Services officers, high school liaison officers as well as senior
command officers will take part in the campaign.
On Sept. 10, senior officers, divisional commanders and police executive officers will participate in the All Hands on
Deck component of Project Safe Start.
Windsor police say arsons ‘way up’ from last year (CBC News – Windsor)
Windsor detective says weather could be a factor in recent string of arsons
Windsor police say arsons are "way up" from last year and investigators claim there are many factors at play.
Last Thursday Aug. 22 an abandoned home on Benjamin Avenue went up in flames and last Wednesday Aug. 21
four cars were set on fire with gasoline and flares at a used car lot on Tecumseh Road East.
Windsor Police Det. Glen Gervais says a serial arsonist may be setting multiple fires, but something as simple as the
weather could mean people are out, and possibly causing trouble.
"When we had that rainy span there in end of June, early July, our arsons just went right down. We had a period of
two to three weeks when we didn't have anything. And then all of a sudden the weather gets nice again and we
have kids out partying," said Gervais.
He says insurance fraud arsons are also common when the economy is down.
"It's well-known throughout North America, that when the economy is down, that there tends to be more arsons.
The insurance frauds tend to go up, and in some cases, we've seen that," Gervais said.
But sometimes the public can be too quick to point fingers as was illustrated by the fire a month ago on Dougall
Avenue where three teenagers were arrested.
"That owner of that property had to fight off a lot of allegations simply because people thought maybe the building
project isn't going well. Maybe I'll burn it to get extra money, that wasn't the case at all," according to Gervais.
Minister Meilleur says province needs more jail beds (Sarnia Observer)
Rare applause and whistles of appreciation rose midday Monday outside the Sarnia Jail with official word that the
facility will not close.
“Based on an internal evaluation of the ministry's operational needs, as well as the conversation we had with the
community, we have decided that the Sarnia Jail will remain open,” Minister of Community Safety and Correctional
Services Madeleine Meilleur told a crowd of about 100.
Jail staff, local politicians, Sarnia police Chief Phil Nelson, about 15 local firefighters and Save the Jail committee
supporters were among those gathered to hear the minister's announcement.
Mayor Mike Bradley had suggested on Friday that Kathleen Wynne's Liberal government reversed a decision made
in 2011 to close Sarnia Jail by 2014.
But it wasn't until Monday when the minister flew into Sarnia that the news was confirmed and celebrations
began.
Meilleur left the podium to give a warm hug to Dave McPhail, chairman of the Save the Jail committee.
“I would personally like to thank Dave McPhail and the Sarnia Save the Jail committee. Without your hard work,
we would not be here today,” she said.
Jeff Plain, an advocate for aboriginals at Community Legal Assistance Sarnia, presented Meilleur with a braided
piece of sweet grass from Walpole Island.
He said he thanked her on behalf of the native community, which would have experienced real hardship if Sarnia
inmates were housed in Windsor and cut off from their elders and family.
“The staff are really, really happy about it,” said Dave Esser, union rep for the jail's employees. “(This
announcement) could have easily been an, oh well, we're going to stay open for now. But there was really no
qualification on this thing whatsoever.”
Meilleur, who was visited twice at Queen's Park by Save the Jail proponents, said the correctional system in
Ontario has changed since Dalton McGuinty's government decided Sarnia Jail would close.
“Since the decision was made, growing capacity issues and the federal government's so-called 'tough on crime'
agenda have increased pressure on our correctional system,” she said. “At the same time, we have been listening
to the concerns of the community. Premier Kathleen Wynne and I have both met with community leaders and
heard them loud and clear.”
The 100 beds at Sarnia Jail will help southwestern Ontario's correctional services deal with crowding issues,
provide programs for inmates and a safer environment for staff and inmates, Meilleur said.
“I know the past couple of years have been an uncertain time for the employees of the Sarnia Jail and for the
businesses and services in the community. I want to thank everyone involved for making your voices heard, and for
your patience and understanding.”
Later, Meilleur told reporters that she couldn’t guarantee that Sarnia Jail won't close in the future. Sarnia Jail is
now one of 29 jails across the province in a review to “modernize” the correctional system, she said.
“I am not a person who makes a decision and never reviews it,” she said. “But this facility is close to the border and
it's important to have a jail close to the border.”
That was part of the argument made by the Save the Jail committee from the beginning, said McPhail.
He said he believes the government realized they made a mistake in 2011 and hadn't considered Sarnia Jail is only
52 years old.
“I think someone misread the facts and then we came forward with information about the costs of transportation
to Windsor (where Sarnia inmates were to be transferred),” McPhail said.
“This is a great win for Sarnia-Lambton. Really, every taxpayer in Ontario won today,” he said. “The millions of
dollars that would have been spent on transportation would have taken money out of the system for education
and health care.”
Frank Stancic, executive director of the John Howard Society in Sarnia, said the government's reversal did not
surprise him because Sarnia Jail is an important facility in a border city, but he wished it went a step farther.
“I was kind of hoping the minister would bring, in addition to this good news, some better news that there might
be some dollars for some upgrading, some expansion because, as she said, there are pressures on the system
across the province,” Stancic said.
Meilleur agreed Sarnia Jail needs some upgrades. Since announcing it would close, her ministry repeatedly said the
jail was too small, poorly designed and showing its age.
“It's a facility that needs work and I've asked staff to prepare a rehabilitation program for our 29 facilities and see
what we need to do,” Meilleur said Monday.
About 15 Sarnia firefighters in bright yellow t-shirts attended the announcement and said they were there to show
solidarity with the jail's unionized workers.
The minister recognized Sarnia Fire Rescue Services and thanked its members for responding to a small fire at the
jail the night before.
On Sunday night, five Sarnia Jail inmates were transferred to another facility after setting fire to some paper and
causing what was described as minor damage to two units. There were no injuries.
Apart from Meilleur, the mayor was the only other speaker Monday.
He credited McPhail and the other Save the Jail volunteers and said the community benefits from the retention of
70 jobs at the jail.
There's also been a “refreshing sea change” at Queen's Park, Bradley said. “I include the premier in that.”
WHAT THEY SAID:
“When they looked at the data, reason prevailed. The decision to close was nonsense on stilts from the beginning.”
Lawyer Andrew Bolter, Community Legal Assistance Sarnia.
“Everywhere you went, people said what a stupid decision to close Sarnia Jail. It's been a really long haul. I want to
thank the Save the Jail people, the police chief, the mayor and so many others who worked so hard.” Dave Esser,
union rep for correctional workers.
“What's gratifying to me is that this was true democracy at work. We made a presentation at Queen's Park and
they listened, they acted.” Dave McPhail, chairman of the Save the Jail committee.
“It's paramount that we've kept (inmates) in their community where their supports are, their families are and their
services are.” Frank Stancic, executive director John Howard Society.
“The Save the Jail committee had the facts all along. Taxiing inmates hundreds of kilometers back and forth to
prisons around the province would cost millions of tax dollars per year and saddle our valuable police resources
with chauffeur duties.” Bob Bailey, MPP Sarnia-Lambton.
“Keeping the Sarnia Jail open makes sense and will provide additional beds and much-needed space, creating a
safer environment for our employees.” Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional
Services.
Minister spares Sarnia but Chatham Jail still on death row (Chatham Daily News
– Sarnia)
Sarnia Jail will remain open but there will be no reprieve for Chatham Jail, says Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of
Community Safety and Correctional Services.
Meilleur travelled to Sarnia Monday to announce her government's decision to reverse a 2011 announcement that
Sarnia Jail would close in 2014.
However, she told reporters no reversal is in the works for Chatham Jail.
“It's a different situation. Chatham is underutilized,” she said. “And it was built in the 1850s.”
A group of Sarnia volunteers calling themselves the Save the Jail committee has argued for two years that Sarnia
Jail should remain open because of many factors that included:
• additional costs to transport local inmates to a large, new jail in Windsor;
• the need for a jail in a border city;
• security issues surrounding the transit of inmates between the Sarnia courthouse and Windsor; and
• the fact that Sarnia Jail is only 52 years old.
In comparison, Chatham Jail is more than 150 years old, Meilleur said, adding that even the need for additional
beds in Ontario's correctional system won't save Chatham Jail.
“Chatham is going to close,” said she.
Construction of the new Southwest Detention Centre in Windsor is nearly complete and is expected to open in
April. Chatham Jail will close soon afterward, according to Steven Small, assistant deputy minister of Institutional
Services, who accompanied Meilleur to Sarnia.
Crime unit keeping “bad guys off the street” (Simcoe.com)
Street-level drug busts resulted in 46 arrests
The South Simcoe Police criminal investigations unit conducted 557 investigations, seized $3 million in drugs,
arrested 46 people and laid more than 190 charges in the past year.
“When you put 25 people in jail, it makes people talk. These types of operations help keep the bad guys off the
streets and that’s all we can ask for,” said Staff-Sgt. John Van Dyke, who heads up the force’s criminal
investigations unit.
The courts have yet to determine the fate of many of the suspects in those cases.
As part of the force for 24 years, Staff-Sgt. Van Dyke has seen some of the worst crimes in and around Simcoe
County and hopes to expand his skills and take an active role in reducing criminal activity, he told the police
services board earlier this month.
With a team of 10 officers, the unit takes the lead on the more serious crimes in Innisfil and Bradford.
With an average of 18 years of experience among investigative officers, the team is divided into different roles for
each investigation, including intelligence, street crime and general duties.
In 2012, the unit conducted 557 criminal investigations, seizing an estimated $3 million in street drugs.
Two of the more substantially known investigations, Project Full Moon in 2012 and Project Talon, which wrapped
up in the spring, resulted in 46 arrests and more than 190 drug-related charges.
The unit assists uniformed officers, attends death and internal investigations.
Staff-Sgt. Van Dyke outlined identify thefts as an ongoing challenge.
“Frauds and scams, there are lots of different types. Criminals tend to target the elderly or younger individuals,
tapping into human greed,” he said.
“Most recently, we discovered a form of ATM fraud involving a fake cover over top of the key pad at a Scotiabank.”
The cover held a small camera, not visible from a specific angle, which taped unsuspecting residents keying in their
PIN numbers. After a couple of hours, the criminals would return to gather private data.
A majority of these crimes are solved thanks to witnesses, forensic evidence, confessions, warrants and video
surveillance.
“Sometimes, we just have good ’ole luck. You never know what’s going to happen,” he said.
“Most of our officers are quite hardened to what they witness, but, sometimes, if there is something horrific, we
want to make sure they have somewhere to go for support.”
York Regional Police provides officers with psychological support and guidance when needed, with no extra cost to
South Simcoe Police, Staff-Sgt. Van Dyke said.
London city hall’s inaction over east London trouble spot prompts a new kind of
candid camera (London Free Press)
A London video vigilante is dusting off his camera, eight years after he snapped and posted photos of drug dealers
and prostitutes.
Mark Spiers, who co-founded East London Crackdown in 2005, says he and neighbours will take up the cause —
and cameras — this weekend in a bid to reduce crime around an alleyway near Dundas and Adelaide streets that’s
caught the attention of a city politician.
Coun. Stephen Orser has pushed for the city to install surveillance cameras along Dundas St., especially around the
alley that’s been a hot spot for drug users. But last week, council’s community and protective services committee
rejected the idea.
Spiers says starting this weekend, he and other civilians will run surveillance themselves, with smartphones,
collecting evidence of criminal activity and passing it on to police.
“City hall will approve cameras downtown, but they won’t approve them (here) so we’ve been left with no choice,”
said the east London resident, noting the area has turned around in the last eight years.
“Things are a lot better than they used to be . . . but if we don’t deal with that one problem, that one problem
becomes two and then it becomes four . . .” he said.
The patrols will be random.
Photos of activity will eventually be posted on the group’s website, defunct for several years. It was last active in
2005, when Spiers posted photos of drug deals and nearly-complete licence plates of cars belonging to prostituteseeking johns roaming the streets.
At the time, the group’s efforts helped move crime away from Dundas and Ontario streets, he said.
London police appreciate the extra eyes, said Const. Ken Steeves, but said people should report criminal activity
and leave patrols to police.
“We don’t necessarily encourage citizens patrolling because of the possibility of people engaging in criminal acts to
turn on them or cause harm to these individuals,” he said.
Spiers said his group doesn’t plan to confront anyone they videotape, but they do intend to set up wireless
cameras and livestream images to the Internet.
Spiers also led a successful campaign to stop the re-opening of the Rendez-Vous strip club. He and other
volunteers have removed graffiti and dedicated themselves to the neighbourhood they love.
Orser said he supports any lawful activities to tackle area problems.
“It’s a big job he’s taking on and I hope it has a positive impact for everyone,” he said.
But Orser hasn’t lost hope council will change its mind Tuesday night and put surveillance cameras along the
stretch of Dundas St.
“I hope that . . . council can do the right thing very quickly and get the cameras in place,” he said.
Does the Highway Traffic Act apply to parking lots? (Brampton Guardian)
Q: Does the Highway Traffic Act apply to shopping mall parking lots? If someone is driving across the aisles in a
parking lot, which seems illegal, and hits someone driving down the marked aisle, are they considered to be at
fault?
A: Pete Karageorgos of the Insurance Bureau of Canada replies:
Police operate under the HTA, while insurers and adjusters will review incidents using the lens of the Insurance
Act/policy and the Fault Determination Rules.
Although police may not lay charges for a parking lot/private property collision, the insurer will examine how the
collision occurred to assess who was at fault.
Insurance fault determination rules do apply in parking lots. Generally, if both vehicles were moving, it’s 50:50. If
the impacted auto was stationary, it’s 100 per cent on the other driver.
Eric Lai adds:
HTA charges generally don’t apply to private property, such as mall parking lots. However, motorists are required
under the Act to report collisions involving personal injury, or having property damage exceeding $1000, or if a
dangerous condition results (eg. a broken gas line).
Criminal charges may apply if malicious damage, serious injury or death results.
Below is a summary of the fault determination rules applicable to parking lots. Information is from
insurancehotline.com. Search “fault determination rules” for the full document.
Drivers in a thoroughfare (a lane that directly exits onto a road or highway) have the right of way over a driver in a
feeder lane. A feeder lane is a lane in a parking lot that does not directly exit onto a road or highway, such as the
lane between two rows of parked cars.
So, for example, if you were in a feeder lane turning into the lane that leads directly to the parking lot exit, you
must wait for any traffic in that lane to pass before turning.
Drivers leaving a parking space must yield to any other oncoming traffic. You must wait for all traffic to pass before
pulling out of your parking spot.
If you are driving, you are automatically at fault if you collide with a legally parked car. No matter the
circumstance, if you hit a legally parked vehicle, you are at fault. On the other hand, if the car is parked illegally,
the driver of that car could be at fault.
You must follow all signs in the parking lot. You are automatically at fault if you are in an accident as a result of
failing to follow the directions of a traffic sign, such as a stop or yield sign, or if you fail to follow the directions of a
police officer.
If you hit the open door of a car, the driver who opened the door is at fault. It is the responsibility of the person
opening a car door to ensure that there is no traffic approaching before they do so.
Police say gangs at centre of recent Toronto gun violence (CBC News – Toronto)
Detective says police have now obtained images of suspects in double homicide
Toronto police believe a small number of people involved with gangs are responsible for an upswing in gun
violence that has recently had deadly consequences in the city's northwest region.
Deputy Chief Peter Sloly told CBC Radio's Metro Morning that the gun violence that has been taking place in three
particular police divisions is the result of an ongoing conflict among gangs that operate there.
Sloly said those areas are located within 12 Division, 23 Division and 31 Division, which is where police are
currently hunting for the "gang members" they believe are responsible for the violence.
"It's a relatively small part of the city in the northwest corner, it isn’t radiating beyond that as of right now, it's very
localized," Sloly said Monday morning.
That's why police have launched a short-term initiative, known as Project Ice, to try to curb the violence that has
flared up there this summer.
"Project Ice is very specific, there's been a spike in gun violence, in gang violence. We're going to get on top of that
and suppress that and stop this wave of violence," Sloly said.
While Sloly said he could not comment on the specifics of a homicide investigation into the killing of two teenagers
last week, the deputy chief acknowledged that the deaths of young Torontonians are weighing heavily on the
communities where the violence is occurring.
"We're making progress … but it's not enough, because as soon as you seen a young person shot down in their
early years, that wipes out all sense of improvement," he said.
No arrests yet in double homicide
Last Friday, two teenagers were shot outside the Yorkwoods Village housing complex, within the boundaries of 31
Division.
O'She Doyles-Whyte, 16, was found without vital signs when police arrived at the scene. His friend 15-year-old
Kwame Duodu later died in hospital.
There were security cameras on site at the housing complex where the two teens were shot, but some of those
devices were not working at the time of the shooting.
On Monday evening, Det.-Sgt. Terry Browne told reporters that police had reviewed the images from the security
cameras.
Browne said police believe they have images of the suspects who were seen leaving the housing complex on their
bicycles on Friday afternoon. But he said that police are not currently releasing the suspect descriptions until
investigators speak to some specific witnesses they have yet to hear from.
"We need to hear from them and I don't want to taint what we're seeing, so those of you who haven't spoken to
us yet or contacted us, I ask that you do that," Browne said.
The bicycles were recovered from a nearby park, Browne said.
Samuel Addo, the uncle of Kwame Duodu, told reporters that his nephew never had trouble with others, including
the police.
"He was minding his own business, right in front of his house and somebody decided to end his life," Addo said.
Addo said that Duodu’s family is pleading for anyone with information about what happened to come forward.
"Police can only do their job when we talk to them and tell them what we know," he said.
The killings were just a short distance from the scene of another shooting a week earlier at Yewtree Boulevard, just
south of the Jane Street and Finch Avenue West intersection, where shooting put an 18-year-old in hospital.
Two weeks before that, another shooting at neighbouring Yorkwoods Plaza shopping centre left 15-year-old Tahj
Loor Walters, a friend of Doyles-Whyte and Duodu, with fatal injuries.
Just hours before Doyles-White was shot dead last Friday, he tweeted an RIP message about his slain friend.
All three shootings happened in broad daylight.
Killer trades Calgary gang info for freedom, court document shows (CBC News –
Calgary)
Ex-FOB gang member Hans (Jay) Eastgaard flips on friends, becomes police informant
One of the Calgary's top gangsters has been granted full immunity in exchange for his testimony against others in
the notorious FOB gang.
CBC News has obtained a court document showing the attorney general of Alberta will not prosecute Hans (Jay)
Eastgaard, 37, for three slayings and two attempted killings.
Eastgaard was a member of the FOB — which initially stood for “Fresh Off the Boat” — and was part of a gang war
in Calgary which is connected to at least 25 deaths since 2002. The rival gang was FK, or “FOB Killers.”
Crown prosecutor Brian Holtby said the arrangement with Eastgaard is far from ideal.
"It's distasteful to be honest," he said.
"Our mandate is to disrupt and dismantle organized crime and in this case it's clear that complete justice is not
going to be done but we hope by this action that we at least disrupt this group for a time."
Eastgaard is a well-documented criminal, having received several convictions on drug and weapon offences. But he
has received full immunity from prosecution for his role in the slayings.
"We certainly understand why people would be upset and we're not totally happy with the situation ourselves but
unfortunately the police had put absolutely hundreds — if not thousands — of hours of investigation into the
murders that Mr. Eastgaard was involved in and it was clear to us that unless we got his co-operation, no charges
were ever going to be laid," said Holtby.
Longtime friends
According to details provided to police by Eastgaard, he was an original, top-level member of the drug-dealing,
violent FOB gang in Calgary.
The court document identifies Nick Chan as the leader and his brother Tim as a high-ranking original member.
Eastgaard met the brothers when he was in his late teens. Eastgaard and Tim Chan would run errands for Nick,
eventually starting their own “dial-a-dope” cocaine business.
Around the time he was 24, Eastgaard was arrested and convicted for drug offences. He took full responsibility,
allowing Tim Chan to avoid jail.
On Eastgaard’s release, the brothers took care of him financially, instructing him to "lay low."
Tim Chan and Eastgaard eventually moved to Toronto together.
Eastgaard flips
Now the man the Chan brothers considered a friend, business partner and loyal gang member will testify against
them and others in several upcoming murder trials.
Eastgaard’s move to co-operate with police came as a shock, especially to Nick Chan.
"He's still the same Jay and I know that. [He's] never gonna turn on us," Nick Chan said to another original FOB
member, Dustin Darby, in a conversation recorded by police.
"[He'll] never do anything bad against us."
Darby is also facing murder charges as a result of Eastgaard's information.
Another gang member, Michael Roberto, also received partial immunity in June when he became a police witness.
Roberto was involved in several murders and has provided authorities information about how the murders took
place and which gang members were present.
He also told officers that Nick Chan directed him and others to commit the murders.
"We were in a better bargaining position with Mr. Roberto than Mr. Eastgaard. We had more evidence relating to
Mr. Roberto, we had virtually none relating to Mr. Eastgaard," said Holtby.
The Crown prosecutor said Eastgaard will walk free to ensure the gang's top brass are put behind bars.
"It's not helpful if we're dealing with the bottom rung of gang members because they just don't have the
knowledge that can assist us in court,” said Holtby.
“So even though Mr. Eastgaard was a more senior member, we had to go to that level to get the information we
required."
The information provided by Eastgaard led to a series of arrests in July and is part of what Calgary police say is the
biggest gang investigation in the force’s history — Operation Desino, which mean "desist" in Latin.
Nick Chan and Darby were both charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder. For the first time in the
force’s history, the Calgary Police Service also charged Nick Chan with instructing a criminal organization and Darby
with participating in a criminal organization.
‘The enforcer’
Eastgaard told police he was considered the "enforcer" of the FOB gang, "carrying out violence" for the group in
exchange for money.
In a videotaped interview, he admitted to killing Kevin Anaya in August 2008, shooting him on a friend's front lawn.
Eastgaard said that killing was directed by Nick Chan, who believed Anaya had ties to the rival FK or "FOB Killer"
gang.
He also said he tried to kill suspected FK members in an October 2008 shooting at the Food in the East Restaurant
that left Kevin Ses and Tina Kong dead and another man paralyzed.
The gun he attempted to fire wouldn't discharge, he said.
Police would not comment on Eastgaard's current whereabouts.
Click on the highlighted portions of the document for notes:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2013/08/26/calgary-gang-war-documents-fresh-off-boatviolence.html
International News:
Tougher sex offender restrictions sought by campaigners (Guardian, UK)
Charities and an MP are campaigning for tougher restrictions on sex offenders, saying the system is not
preventing the grooming and exploitation of children.
The "Childhood Lost" campaign says police also need powers to restrict suspects who have not been convicted.
Nicola Blackwood MP is tabling an amendment to a bill to create Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Orders, similar to
anti-social behaviour orders.
The Home Office said that it would consider the campaign's proposals.
The UK has a range of powers designed to control sex offenders, including a general requirement that they inform
the authorities of their whereabouts.
'Failing victims'
The main restrictive power, the Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo), can curtail a convicted offender's
movements, such as by banning them from parks or from near schools.
But critics say it is hard to impose conditions if they are not immediately sought during sentencing, and impossible
for the police to seek to restrict the behaviour of a suspect who hasn't been convicted.
Police forces rarely seek Foreign Travel Orders against offenders who go overseas to abuse children because the
courts can only ban travel in limited circumstances.
Ms Blackwood said that the proposed Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Order, to be introduced as an amendment to
the Antisocial Behaviour Bill, could simplify the current system and allow police to pursue grooming gangs more
vigorously.
The Oxford West and Abingdon MP said she was backing the campaign in the wake of the shocking scale of
grooming in her own constituency, exposed in a major trial earlier this year.
The men at the heart of that sex grooming ring - and others like it in other cities - spent weeks and months
grooming vulnerable girls before trafficking them into a life of prostitution.
Ms Blackwood said: "As an Oxford MP, I have seen for myself the appalling devastation caused by child sexual
exploitation. Victims were not only targeted by abusers but also failed by those supposed to protect them. That
must end now.
"The current prevention orders do not give police the tools they need to prevent child sexual abuse. The law is still
failing victims."
Hearsay evidence
Under the campaign's proposals, police chiefs could seek an order using hearsay evidence and other intelligence
about a suspected offender, even if the apparent victim is too afraid to co-operate.
The court could then ban a suspect from any activity linked to abuse - such as having children in their cars, or
entering areas where they are known to target them. Individuals would face up to five years in jail if they break the
order.
A Home Office spokesman said: "Whilst we have some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex
offenders, we keep them under constant review and will consider proposals like this.
"We are already looking to improve the use and effectiveness of Foreign Travel Orders and other measures to put
further protections in place."
The coalition of charities behind Childhood Lost also wants each area to have a dedicated child sexual exploitation
centre to identify and protect victims. It also wants ministers to have the power to publish internal local council
reports into serious failures by social services.
Ill. Expands Recording of Police Interrogations (Officer.com – Illinois)
Officers will have to record more interrogations of suspects under new legislation signed Monday.
Illinois police will have to record more interrogations of criminal suspects under legislation Gov. Pat Quinn signed
Monday that aims to prevent false confessions and wrongful convictions.
The law expands on legislation passed in 2003 mandating the recording of homicide interrogations. The new
requirements will take effect in phases over the next three years, and by June 2016, police will have to record
interrogations of people suspected in any of eight violent felonies, including aggravated criminal sexual assault,
aggravated battery with a gun and armed robbery.
Rep. Scott Drury, D-Highwood, had originally proposed earlier this year that police record interrogations in all
felonies, a measure some law enforcement authorities, including the Cook County state's attorney's office,
opposed.
Advocates of recording and prosecutors praised the narrower measure's passage, saying it would shield police
from bogus allegations of coercion while protecting suspects from overly aggressive interrogation methods that
have produced false confessions.
"I think (the law) will go a long way toward preventing wrongful convictions," said Thomas Sullivan, a Chicago
attorney and recording proponent who helped draft the legislation.
Under the new law, courts will presume inadmissible any statement a suspect in one of the specified felonies
makes unless the interrogation is either audio- or video-recorded. The first incremental expansion of felonies that
must be recorded will happen next June.
Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, led the effort in the Senate to expand recording. He could not be reached for
comment.
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez voiced concern about the financial and logistical implications of the law
for large agencies such as the Chicago Police Department. But she said she supported the measure, calling a
recorded interrogation "an awesome piece of evidence."
Chicago police spokesman Adam Collins said Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Superintendent Garry McCarthy support
expanding recording. But Collins expressed uncertainty about the resources needed to implement a law that
comes with no funding attached.
"(Chicago police officials) would hope that the supporters of this important legislation will work with us to secure
any needed resources to ensure the expansion is a success," he wrote in an email.
A decade ago, Illinois was the first state to pass a law requiring recorded homicide interrogations, a fix enacted as
the state dealt with faulty death penalty cases. Other states soon enacted more sweeping rules, and Illinois' new
law will make it the 17th state that -- along with the District of Columbia -- requires the recording of interrogations
for crimes other than homicide, Sullivan said.
Illinois has carved out an unwanted reputation as a leader in wrongful convictions, with the bulk coming from Cook
County and surrounding areas. Drury, a former federal prosecutor, represents part of Lake County, where four
defendants have been exonerated by DNA since 2010. Three of those suspects confessed after long, aggressive
interrogations that were not recorded.
Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim, who took over the office after those cases fell apart, said he supports
the new law, though he said he would support an even broader bill that would call for the recording of all
interrogations.
"I hope that's where we're headed. I think (that's) where we should go," he said.
News Impacting Police Services in Ontario
Jennifer Harrison
Administration/Committees
Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
40 College Street, Suite 605
Toronto, ON M5G 2J3
Telephone 416-926-0424 ext. 0
Fax 416-926-0436
Email [email protected]