Latest news with #MarcRoskamp
Toronto Sun
14-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
'Prolific offenders' charged in fire, stabbing rouse police chiefs
In a social media post, London police Chief Thai Truong said the accused in the daytime attack is a "prolific offender" who was out on bail London police Chief Thai Truong, left, and St. Thomas police Chief Marc Roskamp. (Free Press file photos) Following a daylight stabbing in London and a major fire in St. Thomas, police chiefs in both cities described the two accused as 'prolific offenders' and are vowing to do everything in their power to keep them behind bars. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. 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Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account London police Chief Thai Truong commented on social media after a manager at Joe Kool's was stabbed July 7, while St. Thomas police Chief Marc Roskamp released a statement following a fire July 6 that razed an historic downtown building. 'The accused is a prolific offender with dozens of prior convictions,' Truong said in a post Sunday. 'He was out on bail at the time of the attack. Thanks to the swift response of our officers, he was quickly identified and taken into custody. He remains there, and we will do everything in our power to contest his release. 'This is not just a policing issue. There are broader societal challenges at play, and we must acknowledge that some individuals, regardless of their circumstances, pose a real and ongoing risk to public safety. We will continue to work with our community leaders, the courts, and all levels of government to keep our community safe and find real, long-term solutions. Safety must come first.' A 33-year-old London man is charged with aggravated assault and breach of probation in the stabbing. He remains in custody and was to appear in a London court on Friday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. We recognize the growing concerns about safety downtown, especially following the recent stabbing on Richmond Row. The accused is a prolific offender with dozens of prior convictions. He was out on bail at the time of the attack. Thanks to the swift response of our officers, he… — LPS Chief Thai Truong (@LPSChiefTruong) July 13, 2025 In a statement July 7, Roskamp said a 44-year-old St. Thomas man charged with arson, failing to comply with a probation order and drug possession in the fire that levelled a 144-year-old downtown building was 'prolific offender' who was before the courts on 13 charges, including mischief and making a false fire alarm, and has been convicted of 14 charges, including arson. The case represents the 'pressing' concerns over a bail system that impacts community safety, he said. 'The (St. Thomas police service) believes in combining compassion where appropriate, but not an automatic overcompensation to blame social determinants as the cause, and where chronic criminality is treated as a symptom,' Roskamp said. 'Repeat offenders often show targeted behaviours that disregard victims' rights, leaving communities to suffer the consequences.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A pile of rubble is all that is left on Monday, July 7, 2025, after a building on Talbot Street in downtown St. Thomas was destroyed in a blaze the previous day. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press) Joe Kool's owner Mike Smith said the injured bar manager was discharged from the hospital the day after he was stabbed and is expected to return to work this week. 'Obviously, this is serious. We didn't want this to happen, but there's been a really huge improvement in the last year,' Smith said of safety in downtown London. Smith, a downtown booster who owns two other core eateries, credits Truong, who vowed to make London a safer city when he became chief two years ago, for the improvement. 'The chief is doing a great job. I saw him walking Richmond Street a month ago,' Smith said, adding violence isn't unique to downtown. 'It's everywhere.' The manager had asked a man loitering behind Joe Kool's to leave at about 3:30 p.m. on July 7, London police said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The man pulled out a knife and stabbed the manager. The attacker took off on a scooter, police said. The manager suffered life-threatening injuries and taken by paramedics to hospital, police said. Court records show the accused in the stabbing was previously arrested on March 17 and charged with possession of property obtained by an indictable offence, fleeing from police, driving while prohibited, careless storage of ammunition and possession of ammunition while prohibited. The man, whose address is listed as a backyard shed, wasn't held for a bail hearing. Rattled by the attack, some Richmond Row businesses and employees shared their frustrations with The Free Press about what they say are delays in police response to calls about threats or vandalism on the busy bar-eatery strip, an entertainment hot spot for residents and visitors to London alike. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Online, reaction has similarly highlighted concerns about public safety downtown. Jeremy McCall, a member of the public library board and prominent community volunteer, took to X to post a photo of what appears to be a blood-soaked hospital bed, and described the victim as a friend. 'I sincerely hope that we can get Richmond Row under control for the sake of everyone in London,' he wrote. Coun. David Ferreira, whose Ward 13 encompasses downtown, said downtown is safe but still has its issues like other cities. Ward 13 Coun. David Ferreira (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press) 'There's a lot of people in the downtown area, so with more people . . . you may see higher numbers of certain things happening here and there,' he said. 'I don't really see a difference between downtown and other areas of the city, so of course Richmond Row is safe and there are a lot of people (who) will attest to that.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The London and St. Thomas police chiefs are the latest law enforcement leaders to speak out in a bid to draw attention to problems that need to be addressed, said a spokesperson for an organization representing more than 1,200 senior police officers across the province. 'Just from a policing perspective, I think what you're seeing is the chiefs are reflecting what their officers on the frontline are reporting back, a sense of frustration that they do a lot of hard work . . . particularly with repeat offenders and it seems it's a bit of a revolving door,' said Joe Couto of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. 'And that's frustrating, not only for the officers because they take pride in what they do, of course, but we hearing it from the communities.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There has been growing calls from police forces, their unions and politicians at all levels to reform Canada's bail system. The federal Liberal government passed a bill that took effect last year changing the way bail is granted for some weapons offences and cases involving intimate partner violence. Another bill will be tabled in the fall to introduce stricter bail conditions and sentencing from some crimes, including offences involving organized crime, human trafficking, home invasion and auto theft. But Couto said solving the problems raised by police and other critics will take a collaborative approach. 'It involves police, it involves corrections, it involves social work . . . We can't just simply pass it off and blame one part of the system,' he said. dcarruthers@ Read More Editorial Cartoons NFL Golf NHL World
CBC
09-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Local police services have different plans as province pushes return of cops to schools
As the Ontario government moves to bring police officers back into schools, two local police services share different reactions to the news. While the St. Thomas Police Service (STPS) is on board with the idea of bringing back School Resource Officer (SRO) programs, the London Police Service (LPS) expressed less interest. Nonetheless, both police services said officer engagement with students is an important priority. "I think that this is the right step forward," said Marc Roskamp, the St. Thomas chief of police. "[The new bill] would allow police officers back into the schools and the traditional school resource officer program." Roskamp's endorsement follows closely behind Education Minister Paul Calandra's announcement of the Supporting Children and Students Act, which aims to consolidate ministry oversight over school boards and requires the return of SRO programs if local police offer them. In 2021, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), the largest in the region, paused its SRO program and, in 2024, resolved not to re-initiate it due to concerns from students over surveillance and feelings of unease. The STPS has been vocal in its dissatisfaction with removing SROs and has also reported an uptick in officers being called to schools. Following a firearm scare at a school in January, Roskamp told reporters those incidents have risen by 55 per cent since 2021, with officers now attending schools once every two days. In his eyes, the police are a clear part of the solution to the problem. "Presence is deterrence," Roskamp said. "Whether expected or unexpected, visits to schools might reduce those incidents of violence, and what we're talking about is assaults, sexual assaults, bullying, it's all happening." That's not to imply deterrence is the only goal of officers in schools, he added. "When we're in the schools, it's never been about enforcement or intelligence gathering. It's always been about high fives and smiles and interacting and engaging with youth." Roskamp said his police service is engaged with local school boards and is working to "re-establish, refresh and reimagine the role of the school resource officer." London Police's response to the question of whether they would offer an SRO program to the board included an effort to distance the force from official SRO programs. "We have moved away from the title 'School Resource Officer' and instead focus on broader community engagement," said Peter Testa, head of the LPS community mobilization and support branch. Testa said the LPS has worked closely with school boards in the city to support students, with the goal of promoting positive behaviour and enhancing safety through "mutual respect." He also said the LPS supports boards without the use of an SRO program "by having our officers attending and presenting when requests are made." Regardless of the intentions as stated by police, some students remain opposed to police presence in schools in general. One of those students is Shivani Vimal, who is in grade 11 at the TVDSB's Lord Dorchester Secondary School. "I firmly believe that police officers do not belong in schools. I believe there's a time and place for security personnel, but schools are spaces for learning, growth and trust, and that's just not the place for police officers," she said. A common thread in opposition to officers in schools, especially as stated in the past by previous TVDSB student trustees, is a concern that students from marginalized communities could be made doubly uncomfortable by police presence. "I just feel that it would harm BIPOC students, and it would impact them a lot more than people think," Vimal said. Vimal said the opinions of her peers seem to be divided. However, the prevailing thought is that students "don't want to feel like they're being watched. And they also believe that police officers in schools might just escalate situations." She said she'd rather see funding for social workers and counsellors as a solution, but if the police do return, the process needs to be student-centric and collaborative.
