FORMER CHIEF Mark Saunders left months earlier than expected leading to Interim Chief James Ramer. Social media is already buzzing on who will be the next Toronto Police chief.

A search for a new Toronto Police Chief is being held in Etobicoke on March 30 and those interested are invited to check out the virtual recruitment.

The search by Environics Research, on behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB), will also hear from candidates at meetings in downtown Toronto on March 31, Scarborough on April 7 and North York on April 13, according to information released.

The two-hour virtual meeting in Etobicoke will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is open to 100 registrants.

“The sessions will help TPSB prioritize qualities and characteristics for the job description for the next Chief of Police,” Environics wrote. “Sessions will include a mix of small group discussions and polling exercises.”

Those interested are required to go to the Environics Research site and fill out a survey to be “assigned to the right discussion group.”

Once you are confirmed to attend, someone from Environics will contact you directly with further details.

These consultations are said to be the most extensive for a Chief selection process that the Board has organized to date. It will provide opportunities for people across the city to share input on this topic, ensuring that a diverse range of voices are heard.

The TPSB last summer agreed to 81 measures aimed at boosting police accountability and transparency. The board acted at a time when the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked demonstrations worldwide and added new momentum to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Closer to home, the death last May of 29-year-old Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who fell to her death from her balcony after Toronto police officers were called to her west-end apartment, prompted renewed criticism of how police handle mental health calls.

The measures include commitments to build better relationships with marginalized communities, improve ways police deal with mentally ill people, implement new use of force guidelines and to be transparent about how the next chief, who’ll be expected to usher in many of the changes, will be selected.

It will cost the board about $150,000 to find a new chief.

Interim Chief James Ramer was tapped for the position after former chief Mark Saunders unexpectedly announced he was stepping down last June, with eight months still left on his term.

Transitions are often announced months in advance giving the board plenty of time to prepare.

More information can be accessed at https://tpsb.ca/consultations-and-publications/chief

RCMP Border officers were near the Rockport boat launch (above) when they rescued a woman from the icy St. Lawrence River. RCMP photo.

This woman was saved by heroes as witnesses say it wasn’t her time to go.

RCMP Border Integrity officers in Kingston were on boat patrol in the St. Lawrence River on March 4 about 5:30 p.m. when out of the blue a woman, who appeared to be in distress, exited her vehicle and ran to a boat launch ramp and jumped into the icy St. Lawrence River.

Const. Steffan Manuel was driving the vessel and realizing the danger was prepared to jump into the freezing water to save the woman.

Instead, he pulled into the Rockport boat launch and radioed for help.

“From the ice edge, which was about 30-feet from the shore, he comforted the woman, according to a RCMP release.

“He talked the woman into swimming back to him and then pulled her back on to the ice,” the Mounties said.

By then Const. Jason Greene and two officers had arrived and helped the woman off the ice and into a warm police vehicle, where they administered first aid for hypothermia.

“The woman was in the water for about five minutes and was struggling to swim by the time she reached the ice,” police said.

Within minutes, she was taken to Brockville General Hospital by the OPP and Emergency Medical Services.

“The RCMP is proud of its members who put themselves on harm’s way to help their fellow citizens,’ said Cpl. Dmitri Malakhov.

It just so happened that a course on ice rescue techniques is planned to take place at the same spot this month.

POLICE ARREST three Brampton men and a fourth is sought for a taxi fraud ring scam. Police photos.

Police from five GTA jurisdictions arrested three Brampton men and a fourth is sought in a fake taxi fraud scheme that scammed more than $37,000 from ‘well intending’ victims.

The motor vehicle involved in these incidents was a decommissioned taxi cab and was not actively owned or operated by any GTA taxi companies, according to police.

Officers from Peel, Toronto, Halton, Hamilton and York were involved in a joint operation that investigated in excess of 35 cases of debit card theft and frauds targeting well-intended citizens, Peel Regional Police said in a release on March 19.

“Despite these challenges, people from our community agreed to help someone else and were victimized for their kindness” said Nick Milinovich, Deputy Chief of Investigative and Emergency Services. “Our police service will continue to work diligently to hold offenders accountable for their actions.”

In most cases, the suspects would pose as the driver of a taxi and a rear seat passenger, and approach the victims at which point the passenger would offer cash in exchange for the victim using their debit card to pay the fare, as the taxi driver would not accept cash due to Covid-19 contact limitations.

The victims would insert their debit card into a point of sale terminal that was modified to capture the victims personal identification number (PIN) number, which was then followed by the taxi driver secretly swapping the victims card with a previously exploited debit card. The suspects would then use the stolen card and PIN to make large cash withdrawals and purchases.

Police said a 17-year-old young offender was charged on March 16 with 44 offences, including fraud and theft under $5,000.

Two other men, aged 20 and 22, were charged with 16 offences. And a warrant has been issued for a fourth man, described as 28-years-old from Brampton.

Investigators believe that there may be more victims as the suspects are believed to have operated the replica taxi across various areas in the GTA, and are encouraging potential victims to contact their local police service.

Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact the Fraud Bureau at 905-453–2121, ext. 3335.  Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting peelcrimestoppers.ca.

POLICE say beware of where you purchase your Chinese currency our you could be in danger.

Police have issued a warning for those purchasing Chinese currency over social media.

The warnings stem from a rash of assaults and robberies of people seeking to exchange Canadian for Chinese currency on the social media platform WeChat for what they believe would be cheaper rate than offered by legitimate financial institutions, police said.

York Regional Police in a statement said when potential customers arrive at a meeting location, “they were assaulted or threatened and robbed of the money they brought with them to exchange.”

“Victims have lost thousands of dollars and in some cases they have suffered physical injuries,” officers of the force’s #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau said in a release.

Police have a list of documented thefts. They include one on February 1, in which a victim met with a suspect to exchange $20,000 into Chinese currency when another man arrived and they both pointed guns at the victim and took off with his money and cell phone.

On February 28 two victims met with two Asian males to exchange $1,000. A third suspect arrive with a firearm and took the money.

And on March 5 some $18,000 was stolen from another victim who had arrived to obtain Chinese currency. The victim was assaulted and robbed, police said.

In most cases, the Chinese currency are to be sent back to China to help their families.

Police said if something is appears too good to be true, it probably is.

“Use caution when communicating with people you do not know online and avoid using unknown contacts or businesses for currency exchange,” police warn.
An investigation is underway.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7541, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.

POLICE warn of various taxi fraud schemes.

Here is the most recent taxi fraud scam that Toronto Police are warning residents to beware of.

Police say the victims usually wave down a taxi cab and request a ride to a destination.

On arrival, the cabbie insists that the victim pay with debit, police said, adding the driver may make excuses about not having change and not accepting credit payment.
“The taxi driver provides the victim with a counterfeit debit machine,” police state. “The victim inserts the debit card into the machine and enters the PIN number associated to the card.”

Police said the counterfeit debit machine records the victim’s PIN .

“After the transaction, the driver swaps the victim’s card with another card from the same financial institution,” according to police.

They said the driver now has access to the victim’s debit card and PIN.

Officer also warn of another version of the same scam. This time it takes place in a vehicle resembling a taxi parked in a high-traffic area. The person claiming to be the driver and another posing as a customer are having a loud argument about the driver refusing to take cash due to COVID-19.

Police said a good Samaritan overhears the argument and offers to pay with their own debit card the cab fare for cash.

The good Samaritan inputs their PIN number for their debit card into the modified machine, which records their PIN.

They are given a duplicate card that looks like theirs and the customer and driver are long gone to empty their account.

POLICE investigate retail robbery case in South Etobicoke.

A man accused by police of two retail robberies in New Toronto is behind bars.

Hold Up Squad officers have arrested a man following the robberies that occurred in the Kipling Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. W. area.

Police allege the suspect entered a store on March 15 with a mask on, and his hood over his head, in an attempt to conceal his identity.

“The man approached the checkout counter and made a demand for cash while pretending to purchase some merchandise,” police said in a release. “After a short interaction with employees, the man fled the scene empty-handed.”

Police allege the man returned on March 17 and took items from the shelves and was approached and  asked to pay for the items.

Police alleged the suspect ‘pulled out a knife and threatened the employee.”

Officers said the suspect then ‘grabbed a bottle of windshield fluid off the shelf and broke the store window with it.”

The man fled on a bicycle.

The suspect was in possession of a knife and items from the robbery when arrested.

The man was arrested on March 18 and was charged with seven criminal charges; including robbery, robbery with a weapon. Two counts of disguise with intent, weapons dangerous.

The accused, Patrick Evangeliste-Tavernier, 33, of Toronto, was slated to make a court appearance on March 18.

THE COMMUNITY was stunned when more than 80 shots were fired by gunmen last summer.

POLICE searching for clues.

Police searching for shooter who shot man in New Toronto

A young man is in hospital fighting for his life after being shot in broad daylight on March 17.

There was a large police presence in New Toronto as police searched for a shooter.

The victim was shot around 3 p.m. near Lake Shore Blvd., and Ninth Street, according to police.

The person was found by others laying on the roadway.

The victim was taken to a local trauma centre in serious but non-life-threatening condition.

That same night another youth was shot in the Scarlett Road and Lawrence Ave. area around 7:30 p.m. after residents reported the sounds of gunshots.

A teenage boy was found with a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital.

Police do not believe the incidents are linked.