York Region MPs questioned York Regional Police about their constituents' crime and safety concerns at a virtual town hall March 7.
More than 60 residents attended the event hosted by the York Region federal Liberal caucus. York Regional Police offered a variety of crime prevention tips.
Markham-Unionville MP Paul Chiang said it was an opportunity to address community safety.
“We are here today because we understand the importance of feeling safe and secure in our communities,” Chiang said. “So that we all know the best steps to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.”
The discussion spotlighted an array of concerns, with MPs and residents questioning the police on business break-ins, gun crime, hate crime and more. The presentation highlighted ongoing issues, though police reported York Region was one of the safest urban centres in the province in 2020.
Markham-Thornhill MP and Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng asked about how small businesses could protect themselves. She said she has seen reports of break-ins at Chinese restaurants in her riding.
Police have laid 14 charges on a suspect in connection with the break-ins. Const. Brian Hinds suggested that businesses could contact police about a safety assessment, a free service.
“Every store is different, every business is different,” he said. "(There are) different ideas we can give them."
Staff Sgt. David Ecklund further said the suspect was going for cash registers and that “if owners don’t leave cash in their registers, that would be extremely helpful as well.”
But owners in the Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan Chinese Business Association have questioned that particular advice has a stereotype of Chinese restaurants and is akin to victim-blaming.
Vaughan-Woodbridge MP Francesco Sorbara asked about gun crime, citing recent shootings in his riding.
“I just want to make sure you have the resources you need to keep the guns off the streets,” he said.
Police Supt. Larry Wilson said gun control is a hot issue, and regional police have seized a significant number recently. He said it’s higher than years before, though added that may be due to targeted initiatives to find gun crime and address it.
“Sure, York Region would like all kinds of resources, all kinds of money thrown our way,” he said. “We know that’s not always the way, so we have to come up with different ideas and think outside the box.”
The federal government has promised gun control legislation, expected later this year.
The town hall hosted via Zoom was interrupted by several unknown individuals, who made violent and racist remarks, with one displaying a sexually explicit video. It took moderators several minutes to remove all the perpetrators.
“I would like to apologize for the intrusion and the graphic images we saw,” Chieng said. “Somehow, people hacked in, and I hope the future town halls we host don’t have these problems.”
“Safety is a big concern for our residents, and we would like to carry on and hopefully have more town halls and bring in other subjects that we can speak about for the safety of all residents" he said.
