51 robberies, 26 with guns in the past 31 days in Mississauga and Brampton
Published February 25, 2024 at 12:44 pm
Crime remains a persistent concern in Mississauga and Brampton with armed robberies being a prevalent and ongoing issue.
In the last 31 days, Mississauga and Brampton have seen an average of one or more robberies per day.
From Jan. 25 to Feb. 25 Peel Regional Police data indicates that there were a combined 51 robberies reported across both cities — 31 in Mississauga and 19 in Brampton.
Half of the robberies (26) were carried out with guns, 10 with other weapons, and 15 were listed simply as “other” by police.
As of today (Feb. 25), 14 of these incidents are considered solved, while the other 37 are still being investigated.
Overall, robberies have increased by ten incidents compared to last month’s total of 41, marking a 24% rise.
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Additionally, police data doesn’t indicate how many arrests were made or injuries reported in relation to these robberies.
The following map shows where the robberies took place:
According to Peel Regional Police data, the eight common hotspots for this type of crime in February were:
- Brickyard Way—2 occurrences
- Burnhamthorpe Road —2 occurrences
- City Centre Drive— 5 occurrences
- Curran Place—2 occurrences
- Dundas Street —2 occurrences
- Hurontario Street —2 occurrences
- Living Arts Drive —2 occurrences
- Main Street—2 occurrences
Comparing these incidents to the same time last year (Jan. 25, 2023 – Feb. 25, 2023) there were only ten cases reported for the month. The majority of the incidents (7) occurred in the City of Brampton, with two recurring on Queen Street. Since then, five of the robberies have been resolved, while the other five are still under investigation.
A notable robbery case from the past month involved two armed men targeting numerous convenience stores across Mississauga, Brampton, Toronto, and Halton. Police later added in a news release that the bandits “demanded money and lottery tickets during the robberies.”
While businesses remain the primary targets in these robberies, instances of violent armed robberies have also been reported inside homes or during vehicle thefts.
Peel Regional Police provide safety tips to residents and businesses on safeguarding against robberies:
- Ensure you have a properly working surveillance system.
- Ensure you have proper lighting inside and outside your premise, and remember to maintain them.
- Provide all staff with robbery prevention training.
- Reduce the amount of cash on hand by making frequent cash drops.
- Have low shelving to improve view of customers.
- Place your shelves in a way that allows employees to see between the aisles from the sales counter.
- Remove all excessive window signage or clutter from the sales area and other critical lines of sight.
If a robbery happens, victims are advised to contact police immediately.
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