Uxbridge council hears from Durham police representatives

DAN CEARNS The Standard

UXBRIDGE: Members of the Durham Regional Police Services (DRPS) Board were on hand at an Uxbridge council meeting, on Monday, October 28th, to talk about their areas of focus and concern and give Uxbridge council a chance to voice their thoughts.

“More than 100 people have been killed or injured, as a result of a shooting, in Durham Region, since 2018. We are concerned about the levels of re-offending and the number of people released back into the community [who] are facing firearms charges,” board member Karen Fisher told councillors.

She also noted, the rate of vehicle theft in the Region is “about four times what it was five years ago.”

“We now have more than four vehicles stolen every day,” she added. “It can be a very traumatic experience.”

Ms. Fisher stated, the DRPS apprehend nearly nine people, per day, under the Mental Health Act, as well.

“We are hoping to make changes, to reduce this burden and ensure the people who need help receive the appropriate care.”

Her last crime concern was crimes against seniors, specifically scams which target vulnerable seniors. She noted, grandparent scams have defrauded millions of dollars from seniors.

Ward 4 Councillor, Willie Popp said, he thinks some residents “have the perception” their concerns aren’t being addressed when they call police.

“Obviously, we can always do better on communication,” Chief Peter Moreira responded. “In our line of work, we collect a lot of personal information which we’re unable to share because of other processes. It becomes particularly difficult to share when people become witnesses and need to testify in court. But your point is well made, and I think it’s a takeaway for us, in which we can do a better job at acknowledging there are more times where we could share information.”