Month: January 2017

When it comes to guns and drugs, the law seldom treads lightly. Any men or women facing criminal charges for committing crimes in this arena will likely have the fight of their lives on their hands when they go to trial. That will no doubt be the case for a group of young adults recently arrested in Toronto. Toronto Police executed five search warrants on Jan. 15 at locations in the downtown core and the north end of the city. The officers, all with the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force, seized large quantities of drugs, weapons, and cash during the raids. In…

A series of close calls and poor decisions can sometimes seem worse than it really is. However, when one of those decisions was to allegedly engage in drinking and driving, it throws everything else into a very poor light. A man faces multiple charges after an early morning incident, although no one was hurt and only his own vehicle was damaged. On Jan. 14 York Regional Police officers responded to a call about a person allegedly driving erratically just north of Toronto around 6 a.m. The caller reported having to swerve to avoid a collision with an eastbound vehicle in the…

Life as a leader in the public service sector can be filled with more pressure than most people will ever know. Despite that, many choose to pursue such a career for the opportunity to help their community in the best way they can. To suddenly have all that taken away amid allegations of serious wrongdoing would be highly traumatic. No one knows this better than an Ontario fire chief recently removed from duty after allegations of sexual assault involving minors came to light. Ontario Provincial Police arrested the 60-year-old man on Dec. 10, 2016. Earlier that day, police were contacted regarding an…

Relationships sometimes bring out the worst in people, even after they're over. When tempers flare, altercations can occur and may even turn violent. That could be what happened after an east Toronto confrontation allegedly turned ugly, and a woman found herself facing numerous charges for violent crimes. On Jan. 11, Toronto Police were called to a home in Scarborough to investigate a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers found a woman and a man, both of whom had suffered injuries. The pair reported that the man's ex-girlfriend had confronted him at the home, after which a fight broke out. The woman…

It seems that prescription drug crimes are becoming more frequent, at least based on media coverage. In a recent example, a 35-year-old pharmacy employee in the Greater Toronto Area was arrested on suspicion of prescription drug theft. Over a five-month-period, roughly $40,000 of prescription drugs went missing. Notably, police estimate that the drugs could sell for as much as $1.1 million on the street. Accordingly, the employee has also been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking. Drug crimes carry stiff penalties, and prescription drugs are no exception. Without medical authorization, the possession of prescription drugs is illegal. Possession…

There is no question that spousal abuse is a heinous crime in Ontario. Its victims are often vulnerable and emotionally damaged by long-term mistreatment. This is why domestic assault is rightly taken seriously by law enforcement and advocates. However, the high-profile nature of the cause has also allowed it to be misused too often. When this happens, a person who is innocent may face detrimental consequences from one accusation. When police were called to your house for a domestic disturbance, they were prepared for the worst-case scenario. Because a victim of domestic abuse often lives in fear of retaliation, police…

A man accused of crashing into a Toronto police cruiser on the evening of Jan. 7 is in custody, according to authorities. Toronto police arrested the man in Scarborough and have charged him with impaired driving. At the moment, he also faces a variety of minor traffic infractions as well. No court date has been publicly announced by police at this time. According to the report, two Toronto police officers were in the midst of conducting a routine traffic stop on Morningside Avenue around 8:30 p.m. when another vehicle appeared over the crest of a hill. This vehicle then struck the rear…

Young drivers are held to especially high standards in Ontario for their own safety, and for the safety of others. A young man from east of Toronto was recently reminded how high those standards actually are. He was able to walk away from an accident without an injury, but not without an impaired driving charge. The accident occurred shortly after midnight on Dec. 29, 2016. Durham Regional Police officers reported seeing a small car travelling north on Courtice Road. The vehicle turned west onto Highway 2 before allegedly accelerating to a high rate of speed and out of sight of the officers. Evidently, the…

Sometimes the misfortune of a moment can cause a multitude of troubles. In a recent example in the news, a simple lost wallet was all it took to land a Toronto police officer in the middle of a drug possession controversy. The veteran cop now faces criminal charges after a discovery was allegedly made in his absence. On Sept. 19, 2016, a Toronto police officer appeared at an east Toronto courthouse as a witness in a case. After his part was done, the officer, a 16-year veteran and member of the Guns & Gangs Task Force, left the building but forgot his wallet.…