56 robberies, 22 with guns in the past 31 days in Mississauga and Brampton

Crime remains a significant concern in Mississauga and Brampton with armed robberies posing a continuing and widespread threat.

In the last 31 days, Mississauga and Brampton have seen an average of one or more robberies per day.

Peel Regional Police data indicates that from Feb. 21 to March 23, there were a combined 56 robberies reported across both cities—27 in Mississauga and 29 in Brampton.

Twenty-two of the robberies were carried out with guns, 15 with other weapons, and 19 were listed simply as “other” by police.

As of today (Mar. 23), 20 of these incidents are considered solved, while the other 36 are still being investigated.

Overall, robberies saw a notable uptick in February with 51 incidents reported, a 24% increase from January’s 41 cases. The trend continued this month (March), as robberies rose to 56, marking a 9.8% increase from the previous month.

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This gradual yet evident increase in robberies each month could potentially pose a significant challenge for the region, raising concerns among residents.

The following map shows where the robberies took place:

According to Peel Regional Police data, the four common hotspots for this type of crime in March were:

• City Centre Drive — 2 occurrences
• Dundas Street — 2 occurrences
• Goreway Drive — 2 occurrences
• Kennedy Road — 3 occurrences

When compared to the same time last year (Feb. 21, 2023 – March 23, 2023), only one robbery was reported for the month.

The incident was an armed robbery, which took place shortly after 8 p.m. in the City of Brampton in the area of Queen Street. Since then, the incident remains under investigation.

Additionally, police data doesn’t indicate how many arrests were made or injuries reported in relation to these robberies.

A noteworthy robbery case from the past month involved four suspects who used force to break into a home in Brampton and demanded money and property from victims.

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 premises, 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 the 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.