They cracked a fraud ring run by cabbies accused of ripping off more than 200 of their unsuspecting fares of more than $2 million.

Two Peel Regional Police officers are being recognized by their peers for shattering a ‘Bait and Switch’ scam operated by area taxi drivers.

The officers were presented with an Investigative Partnership of the Year Award 2000 by the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators for their outstanding work in an investigative project called ‘Switch.’

The lead investigators, who work undercover and are not identified, are both members of the force’s Fraud Bureau Credit Card and Organized Crime team.

The undercover project involved Peel and Toronto Police and various financial institutions.

Police said individuals posing as legitimate taxi drivers would defraud unsuspecting victims using a point of sale terminal designed to capture the victim’s PIN number.

“After the victim entered their PIN, the taxi driver would return a previously exploited debit card to the victim,” police said. It was “usually under the cover of darkness so the victim would not notice.”

Officers said “soon after” the taxi driver or accomplices would deplete the funds in the victim’s bank account.

“Victims often would not discover the switch until they attempted to use card later,” police said.

Detectives said these fraudsters were pretty good.

More than 200 people were allegedly defrauded of more than $2.1 million by the cabbies between January 2019 and March 2020, police said in a release.

Police arrested five culprits and laid 48 criminal charges, which included offences of fraud under $5,000, possession of credit card data and possession of property obtained by crime.

The officers were recognized for their dedication, thoroughness and collaboration in the field of financial crimes in a private event last month.

Its a first. Toronto Police have launched a video for young people so they can better learn and understand their rights.

The force said the video is the first in its Know Your Rights campaign. It was launched at the beginning of Black History Month in February.

The video, produced in partnership with Konvo Media, explains a person’s rights and a police officer’s responsibilities during various interactions.
“Positive interactions between the police and the public are critical to enhancing trust and accountability,” said Chief of Police Jim Ramer. “This is achieved when everybody feels they can speak to police officers but, for some, this is not part of their lived experience.”
The service have been working since 2012 on the Police and Community Engagement Review, also known as PACER, to review procedures and practices relating to interactions between police officers and members of the community.
In 2020, with the 81 recommendations contained in the Toronto Police Services Board report on police reform, Ramer reconstituted the committee into PACER 2.0, to provide advice, support, and hold the Service accountable throughout implementation.

“The street check regulation and the ban on carding were important first steps in addressing racial profiling but it is still so important for everyone, especially young people, to understand what their rights are when approached by police officers,” said committee member, Knia Singh. “These interactions work out better when both sides are informed and respectful.”

Under the leadership of co-chairs Inspector Kelly Skinner and Singh, a sub-committee was formed with a focus to deliver a Know Your Rights campaign.
The PACER 2.0 Committee, co-chaired by Superintendent Stacy Clarke and Audrey Campbell (Jamaican Canadian Association), is comprised of both officers and civilian members including Acting Deputy Chief Myron Demkiw, Superintendent Pauline Gray, Inspector Kelly Skinner, Yvette Blackburn (Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, GJDC – Canadian Representative), Jennifer Chambers (Executive Director, Empowerment Council), Dave D’Oyen, Stephen Linton, Stephen McCammon (Legal Counsel, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario), John O’Dell and Knia Singh (Principal Lawyer, Ma’at Legal Services).

The video is the first phase of the Service’s ongoing commitment to working with PACER 2.0, young people, and other community organizations on future campaigns that reflect community concerns and speak to a variety of lived experiences and interactions between the public and police officers.

For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.

First it was a shelter, now New Toronto residents may have a multi-storey rental apartment being built on a prime piece of commercial property.

A new proposal is underway to turn a failed and controversial shelter site into a nine-story apartment.

Documents have been filed before a Local Planning Appeal Tribunal by 2950 Lakeshore GP Inc., to request to amend the official zoning plan to permit a nine-storey mixed use building to allow 95 new rental units and retail use at 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

“The Council of the City of Toronto has not made a decision with respect to the application within the time frame prescribed in the Planning Act,” according to the application. “In order to facilitate the final decision, the applicant has appealed the applications to the tribunal.”

The .15 hectare site, which has a frontage of 45.72 metres along a prime Lake Shore Blvd. W. strip, is occupied by a four-storey commercial office building and a two floor retailer Bi Way, which is in the process of winding down the iconic business.

The proposed site will have a total gross floor area of 8,683 square metres, which includes 485 square metres for commercial and 8,198 square metres for residential use.

It will have 32 below grade parking spaces and seven spots for bicycles

No date has been set for a hearing.

There was a heated controversy surrounding the site last year when the City of Toronto expressed an interest in purchasing the property for use as a homeless shelter, but that plan fell apart.

There was a noisy protest in September, with residents taking a stand by talking to their neighbours.

Community residents also took their fight online, and in petitions, or flyers, to oppose the proposed shelter, which was cancelled after a review.

News of a proposed rental apartment has triggered a new round of complaints from residents on social media.

“No more affordable housing,” wrote Candy Kathleen.

Lucy Kroumova says “that’s a lot of units on nine floors.”

“I have been looking for a place going on four years and on a waiting list as well,” states Kitty Cca.

“Are they building government housing,” Zori Iordan asked. “Because that whole area is government building.”

Le Gourmand Bakery is thanking the community that has been “extremely welcoming’ to them as they expand to better serve residents with a second location in New Toronto.

“Many described how they wished us success and that they were happy we were adding to the quality retail/bakery options in the area,” says Davis Snider, Le Gourmand’s Director of Operations. “They also liked the fact that we have a takeout window during these socially distanced times.”

Snider says their success come down ‘to our amazing product and service,’ which is at the forefront of Le Gourmand Bakery Etobicoke, at 2897 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

‘We make our baked goods with the finest ingredients,” he says. “Always made by hand, we strive to maintain a focus on the details when welcoming and serving our guests in the storefront.”

The new location, Le Gourmand Bakery Humber, at 3180 Lake Shore Blvd. W., across from Humber College, is called a “Pocket Bakery & Café,” with a reduced menu that includes their famous cookies, coffee, croissants, and sandwiches.

The bakery is planning more locations in the future and will be taking their renowned cookies province-wide by setting up delivery with the Canada Post.

If you are looking for some heat in your life. Then you want to visit The Cuban Thing food truck that will be spicing up things at Square One, in Mississauga, on February 12.

Main chef Chuchi says their frita burger is a top seller, along with the Cuban sandwich and their flan.

“We hope to be cooking non-stop when April comes,” he writes. “I truly want to create buzz in Etobicoke with my cooking.”

He plans to be based in the Kipling Queensway Mall area with his appearances available on social media.

“It’s about serving and sharing for us. Food trucks have turned out to be essential now with COVID-19.”

Also recently opened is Q BBQ now grilling at 1633 The Queensway, across from Ikea. Already Q is proving to be popular. They claim their burgers are handcrafted, ground, grilled, served on a toasted bioche bun with lettuce, tomato, onion rings and all the fixings.

I tried the beef burger and it was nice and juicy. It wasn’t bad and I will return.

It has been a long journey from Nepal and now we have authentic Tibetan-style MoMos cooking right here in South Etobicoke.

TC Tibetan MoMo, at 182 Royal York Rd., is home of one of the first MoMo take-outs in our community.

“My love for MoMo came from watching my father make, cook and serve them to family and friends,” says Llundup Gyatso, who with wife, Tsewang, had a dream to open their own restaurant. “Momos are not only a traditional Tibetan food, they are also symbols of festivities and celebrations.”

MoMos are a staple dish of Tibetans and the recipe as old as the Himalayan mountains. The MoMo is a Tibetan-style dumpling, are also known as perogies, gyoza or dim sum, which contains a meat or vegetable filling, that is dipped in a tasty sauce to achieve a sumptuous flavour.

“Traditional MoMo are a mix of simple dough-wrapped around fillings of a choice of meat or vegetables,” Gyatso explains in his clean and well-stocked store. “It is a very simple food, yet a tasty meal.”

The couple make their own sauces, which range from hot, to vegan or vegetables, in which the piping hot MoMos are dipped for a nice flavour. The prices are affordable and the MoMos quite good. I tried the beef.

The family arrived here in 2012 from Nepal, where Gyatso was born to Tibetan parents, who were forced to flee their homeland during the Chinese occupation.

“It was my wife’s dream to start our own business selling this delicious Tibetan food,” he insists.

They began working on their vision and regularly sell their home-made products at a farmer’s market at Wychwood Barn in Toronto.

“Slowly and steadily TC Tibetan MoMo became a part of life and has now spread its wings,” he says. “The take-out restaurant is now part of a bigger family with a flow of customers who continually show their support.”

They only use fresh produce and ingredients sourced from Ontario farmers, including organic white flour as wrapping.

TC Tibetan MoMo, at 182 Royal York Rd., can be reached by phone at 416-251-7887 or visit http://tctibetanmomo.com/

 

It was a treat for bird lovers in Long Branch a day before celebrating Robbie Burns Day.

This rare Bald Headed Eagle was photographed by long-time Long Branch resident Pat Rice on January 24 while it was taking a break on an iconic tree in his backyard.

Bill Zufelt, Director of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association and Chair of the Association’s History and Culture Committee, said the tree, called Titan, is one of the largest and oldest Red Oak in South Etobicoke.

Some of the oldest trees in the country are in Long Branch, he said.

Zufelt said the famed eagle was Christened “Robert,” in recognition of Robbie Burns Day, which was celebrated worldwide on January 25.

A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the late poet Burns, the author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet’s birthday, 25 January, known as Burns Night.

“Apparently there are no flying and travel restrictions for our American neighbor’s national birds and it’s a welcoming sign of hope that ‘all’ will return to traveling abroad in the future,” he muses.

The bald eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the U.S., and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.

The bald eagle is the national bird of the U.S., and it appears on its seal. In the late 20th century it was on the brink of extirpation and populations have since recovered, and the species was removed from the U.S. government‘s list of endangered species on July 12, 1995 and transferred to the list of threatened species.

It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the U.S. in 2007.

 

Police have stepped up a hunt for two men who are on the lam for stabbing a woman near The West Mall.

Toronto Police are requesting the public’s assistance in trying to locate the two suspects who are accused of stabbing the woman in the area of The West Mall and Rathburn Rd.

Investigators are running out of leads and are urging anyone with any information regarding this incident to contact them.

The woman is recuperating in hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries after the stabbing, according to 22 Division police.

Officers were called to the area of just after 10:30 p.m. after a citizen telephoned for help.

Police say the two males were seen fleeing into a park in the area.

Officers say there was an argument between the woman and the suspects when she was stabbed.

Anyone with information can contact police at 416-808-2200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on Toronto Crime Stoppers Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes or Google Play.

 

Staff Sgt. Larry McLarty was the first Black officer on the Toronto Police Service and Det. Alton C. Parker (right and on cover) was the first Black detective in Canada, working for Windsor Police. Dept.

Two late great policemen who influenced generations of Black cops in Canada are being remembered for their trailblazing work in February for Black History Month.

Ret. Staff Sergeant Larry McLarty had a long and outstanding career as the first Black cop on the Toronto Police Service and Alton C. Parker rose to become Canada’s first Black detective.

McLarty, aka Larry, a former member of the Jamaican Constabulary Force, worked when he first arrived in Canada as a railway porter, catalogue book packer, night cleaner and in a hospital kitchen before getting a break to return to the work he loved.

When McLarty applied to Toronto Police, he was disappointed to learn he was one-eighth of an inch too short. Then two months later, while being measured for a new suit, he discovered he met the height requirement after all.

He eagerly reapplied to the force and was hired in 1960 making him the first Black officer in Toronto.

The young officer and his family were living in Etobicoke at the time and would live here for many years before moving to Oshawa.

In his 32 years of service, he rose from walking the beat on streets as Bloor and College Sts., to being an initial member of Toronto’s emergency task force. He retired as a Detective Sergeant in 1992.

“He was very proud about being the first black police officer in Toronto,” his son, Michael, said in an interview. “On a personal level, it was an achievement. But on another level, it represented a secure job with steady income, that he could provide for his family.”

Michael said his father faced some discrimination inside and outside of the office as he moved forward in his career.

Also being honoured is Alton C. Parker, who in 1951, became the first Black to hold a rank of Detective in Canada.

Parker was born in Windsor in 1907 and joined the Windsor Police Dept. in 1942 as a mechanic.

He became the force’s first Black Constable and had to face some backlash in the community due his colour.

His outstanding work and personality changed his fellow officer’s views on diversity in the work force. He enjoyed serving the community with dedication and pride, and in 1951 he was promoted to the rank of Detective, making him the first black Detective in Canada.

Parker was a recipient of many awards in recognition for his involvement with the community. In 1976 he received the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship, in 1977 he was awarded the queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1986 he received the Harry Jerome Award for his commitment to youth. In 1988 Detective Alton Parker was named The Person of the Year by the North American Black Historical Museum.

He touched many lives. Detective Alton C. Parker passed away in 1989.