ST. THOMAS, ONT. St. Thomas police continue to stress they can t arrest their way out of the cycle of poverty, addiction, homelessness and mental health. Monday they went to social media to educate residents how the current catch and release approach to justice is affecting them on a daily basis. After arrest and charge, and the evidence is is given before the courts, the courts ultimately make the decision of what s going to happen, says Tanya Calvert, corporate communications coordinator at the St. Thomas Police Service (STPS). It s unique for a police service to use Facebook for this type of public awareness campaign.
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Vandalism and break-ins at downtown businesses increased nearly 40 per cent last year, London police reported.
There were 205 break-ins downtown in 2020, compared to 112 in 2019, and 151 reports of property damage compared to 102 the previous year.
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In total, 356 incidents were reported in the core compared to 214 in 2019, a 39 per cent increase, said deputy police Chief Stu Betts.
He said people working from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic has left the core unprotected.
“We’re trying to maintain distance by staying home to keep people safe, but the unintended consequence of leaving spaces unoccupied is it makes them vulnerable,” he said.