Timmins councillor wants community safety to be council's top priority
Break-ins have become a problem at McDonald's Guardian Pharmacy and Variety Store is located in South Porcupine's downtown area.
People who work there said the business has been broken into seven times over the past four years -- and three of those instances have been in the past two weeks.
“Each instance is being investigated by the Timmins Police Service," said Marc Depatie, communications coordinator for the Timmins Police Service.
“We haven’t fully determined whether or not one person is responsible or if this is a number of persons who’ve decided to target this particular business in South Porcupine.”
To harden the target, the owner is installing bars on the doors and windows.
This situation makes Timmins councillor Steve Black want to do what he can to make Timmins a safer place. He brought up the issue of community safety at a recent council meeting and said he'll be proposing some resolutions.
“I’m working on them. There’s going to be some for enhanced coverage on the policing side. There’s going to be some for the province for changes to the criminal justice side," Black said.
"There’s going to be some asks for additional city support in this area and keeping our downtown areas clean and safe, as well."
In the meantime, he said he wants to hear from more business owners and residents about their experiences with crime. Timmins police officials said they do, as well.
“We strongly urge that any suspicious activity that you notice in your neighborhood or in the business community ... should be reported to police for investigation," said Depatie.
"We are endowed with certain authorities that allow us to interrogate persons and determine the legitimacy why they’re at a given location.”
Black said community safety should be the No. 1 priority for the current council.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.