Halton police urge residents to remain calm, say recent spate of violent incidents rare
Published February 22, 2023 at 4:37 pm
A day after a violent carjacking in Milton was captured on film and viewed by thousands across Halton, local police are urging people to not over-react.
Halton police are hoping to convince residents of Milton, Burlington, Oakville and Halton Hills they shouldn’t worry about a recent spate of high-profile, violent incidents in the region.
“The Halton Regional Police Service recognizes and understands the impact that recent local events have had on the collective sense of safety and well-being of those we serve,” said a spokesperson for the police in a tweet sent Thursday afternoon.
The specific incidents weren’t referenced, but there have been several crimes in the region over the last two weeks that fit the bill.
On Feb. 6 in Burlington, a woman was shot while driving out of The Playground, a basketball facility.
On Feb. 15 in Georgetown, two men, one of them armed, attempted to rob a payday loan store.
Videos
On Sunday, Feb. 19 in Milton, an alleged robber ended up dead, another in custody and a homeowner accused of doing the shooting was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
And just yesterday, a violent carjacking outside a Milton grocery store was caught on video and went viral.
“Unfortunately, incidents such as these are not unique nor isolated to our region; they are occurring throughout the GTA and nationally. While it may feel otherwise in recent days, our Service assures members of the public that events of this nature are rare in our community and that Halton remains the safest large regional municipality in Canada.”
“ We remain firmly committed to the safety of all those who call Halton home, and are working tirelessly to investigate these incidents and hold those responsible to account. The public is one of our best allies in this and – as always – we encourage anyone with information about these or other crimes to report them to us or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.”
Police are continuing to investigate the aforementioned incidents.
Tips can be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or at the website.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising