Link: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/09/03/opp-streetracing.html

Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino says it won't happen again

The law is equal to all and so is accountability and I think it shows that we mean business,' says OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino has said repeatedly that drivers who go 50 km/h over the speed limit will have their car seized on the spot and their licence suspended for seven days — with no exceptions.

But there were two exceptions, and both were OPP officers.

Const. Michael Deyell and Const. Lloyd Tapp are the only two police officers charged under Ontario's street-racing laws. Both were on-duty, in marked cars, and charged by their colleagues.

It's alleged Deyell was driving at 60 km/h over the speed limit in December 2007. His cruiser slammed into two horses, killing them. Deyell himself was injured and sent to hospital.

Tapp is accused of driving his cruiser 50 km/h over the limit in March — and was clocked by an OPP colleague.

Under the new legislation, both officers should have had their licences and cars seized but that didn't happen.

Fantino said that was a mistake.

"The law is equal to all and so is accountability and I think it shows that we mean business," he said.

"We're not playing favourites here. I mean, people know what the rules of the road are and I think that we have to be transparent. We have to be consistent and we have to be fair."

Since new street-racing legislation came into effect last year, police have trumpeted the fact they've charged nearly 8,000 drivers.

Read more »

Link: http://www.caledoncitizen.com/news/2008/0814/news/023.html

Caledon OPP platoon officers responded to 71 motor vehicle collisions during this 14-day period.

As well, 14 drivers were charged under Section172 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act for excessive speeding.

Break and Enter
A business on Queen Street in Bolton reported a theft of three flat screen monitors and a computer server

A garage of a DeRose Avenue home in Bolton on July 28 was entered and an air compressor has been reported as stolen.

A business on Martha Street in Bolton was entered during the evening on Aug. 3 by breaking a glass door. It's unknown whether or not anything was stolen.

Impaired Driving
On Aug. 8 a traffic complaint led to a vehicle stop on Highway 9 and Highway 10. The driver, 22, was arrested and charged with impaired driving, drive motor vehicleover 80 mgs. of alcohol in 100 mls. of blood and dangerous driving.

A vehicle stopped on Airport Road for a Highway Traffic Act offence resulted in a criminal charge for the driver on Aug. 2. The 47 year-old from Kitchener has been charged with impaired driving, driving a motor vehicle over 80 mgs. of alcohol in 100 mls. of blood, operation of an unsafe vehicle and operation of a vehicle with no insurance.

The 42 year-old from Caledon has been charged with impaired care & control of a motor vehicle, care & control-over 80 mgs. of alcohol in 100 mls. of blood, mischief and assault following an investigation at a residence on Winston Churchill Boulevard in Caledon on Aug. 3.

Mischief

On Aug. 5 the owner of two vehicles that were parked at a Holmes Drive residence in Mono Mills found the lug nuts had been loosened on the vehicle's wheels causing a very dangerous situation for the vehicle drivers.

On Aug. 7 A vehicle was entered on Egan Crescent in Bolton however nothing was stolen. As well unwanted persons have been using a residential pool on Birchview Crescent in Bolton during the night hours without the owner's permission.

On Aug. 10 A vehicle was entered on DeRose Avenue in Bolton however nothing has been reported taken.

Caledon OPP has received a report of graffiti damage to a fence between Stella Crescent and railroad tracks on Aug. 1.

A homeowner on Giles Road in Caledon village reported damages to a glass window at the rear of the residence that could have possibly been an attempt to breakin on Aug. 2.

A vehicle was stolen sometime overnight from a driveway of a Coolsprings Crescent home in Bolton on July 28.

A transport truck and trailer that had been reported as stolen to Peel Regional Police Service was recovered abandoned on Simpson Road in Caledon on July 29. The trailer was empty when recovered

A vehicle that had been left parked in a lot of a Healey Road business for a week was not there when the owner returned on Aug. 1. The owner reported it stolen and it was recovered abandoned the following day. The vehicle was located on Humber Station Road with licence plates stolen, rear window had been broken, stereo had been stolen, steering column and ignition removed.

Theft

On Aug. 7 sometime overnight, beer was stolen from a fridge on an out door patio at a King Street business in Caledon.

On Aug. 5 a GPS and two portable DVD players were stolen from a vehicle parked at a Landsbridge Street home in Bolton during the night hours.

On Aug. 4 a golden Labrador retriever was stolen from an Airport Road property. The dog was removed from a cage on the property but has since been located and returned to the owner.

On Aug 4 sometime overnight, two cell phones and a cell phone charger were stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked at a Westview Crescent home in Bolton.

On Aug. 4 unlocked vehicles on Castelli Court and Kingsview Drive were also entered and a GPS and a wallet containing identification and credit cards were stolen.

On Aug. 4 a vehicle parked at a Livingston Drive residence in Valleywood was entered during the night on July 28. DVDs and an IPOD have been reported stolen from the vehicle.

A toy dolly has been reported stolen from a property on Highway 10 on July 31.

Other criminal charges
A call received from another motorist led Caledon OPP to an address on Stationview Place in regards to a traffic complaint on July 31. The 41 year-old from Caledon has been charged with failure to provide breath sample-approved screening device.

Vehicles entered during the night in Bolton

Several vehicles were entered this past week during the night. Some owners reported that their vehicles were locked however many were reported left unlocked with items of value left in plain view.

It is likely that many more vehicles were also entered and the owners did not file a police report.

On July 28 on Egan Crescent a wallet was stolen as well as a satellite radio. On Wright Crescent two vehicles were entered into and a cell phone was stolen from one of them.

On July 29 on Headwaters Road a walkie-talkie was stolen as well as the key from the vehicle ignition. Also on the same residence a GPS was stolen.

On July 30 on Harvest Moon Drive tools were taken. On Emily Carr Court cash and a Playstation was stolen. On Highbury Street a laptop, GPS, cell phone and sun glasses were stolen.

On July 31 on Walkely Boulevard a laptop and sunglasses were stolen. On McCabe Ct. loose change was taken. On Boltonview Court. a wallet was stolen.

Police advise people to secure your vehicle overnight, lock the doors or park in a locked garage. Lock it or lose it.

Any information regarding the above investigations can be forwarded to Caledon OPP at 905-584-2241 or the Bolton office of the Caledon OPP at 905-857-3304 or people can call CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Link: http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/08/05/6352921-sun.html

One fatality up north, minor crash in T.O. amount to sterling weekend

By JASON BUCKLAND, SUN MEDIA

With the Caribana celebration and civic holiday this weekend, Toronto area roads were busy but, for the most part, problem free.

"With what was going on, and all the people we had around," Acting Staff-Sgt. Scott Collins said, "it went quite well, actually."

There were no fatal vehicle collisions in Toronto over the long weekend and only one in central Ontario.

A man was killed on his motorcycle in Orillia, OPP said yesterday.

And a man was put in hospital with minor injuries after a crash last night at Danforth Ave. and Danforth Rd.

The holiday weekend was not without its notable traffic incidents, though, as several drivers made decisions they likely regret heading into the short work week.

A driver at a Tim Hortons off Hwy. 407 got so nervous when he saw a police cruiser, cops say, he put his mom's car in reverse instead of drive and backed right into a lightpole, getting the attention of the very officers he was trying to avoid.

And a driver from New York was caught -- also along the 407 -- going 227 km/h in his Infiniti G37.

CORNY EXCUSE

When asked why he was driving so fast, he told the OPP he had just eaten corn soup and really had to use the washroom.

"I've heard about the ethanol in corn making cars go fast, but this was something else," OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley said.

All in all Woolley was very impressed with the weekend's collision numbers.

From this date last year, Ontario is down 30% on fatal crashes on the province's roads.

"That's about 80 less people that are dead as a result," he said.

Link: http://www.680news.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20080805_080220_8620

By: Jaime Pulfer

Toronto - At least 5,000 charges were laid on the highways over the weekend, about a ticket every three minutes in the Toronto area.

OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley told 680News over 150 excessive speeders had their vehicles seized over the long weekend, including a driver from New York, who had passengers in the car. He was clocked at 227 kilometres an hour on Highway 407.

Woolley said that when the man was asked why he was driving so fast, he told the officer he had just eaten corn soup and had to use the washroom.

But, the street racing legislation, which went into effect over 10-months ago, has been getting a lot of credit.

The street racing legislation went into effect at the end of September and Woolley told 680News at least 80 people are alive because of it.

"If you can put this into perspective, that's 80 more people that are alive compared to the same time last year, so this isn't some little fluctuation," Woolley said.

He added that there's been a 40 per cent drop in fatal high speed crashes compared to the same time last year -- something he said he's never seen in his 30 years as an OPP officer.

Link: http://blog.legalaction.ca/impaired-driving-law-amendments-call-for-drug-testing/#more-101

Industry News Philip Alexiu

As the National Post reported last month, the federal government has finally set a new law in motion that will take aim at drivers on drugs, in an effort to curb impaired drivers under multiple substances. From the article:

OTTAWA - Drivers who get behind the wheel while high on drugs will face roadside testing and they could be ordered to surrender urine, blood or saliva samples at the police station under a controversial new law that takes effect one week from today.

Drivers who refuse to comply will be subject to a minimum $1,000 fine — the same penalty for refusing the breathalyzer.

The new measures, which grant police more power to administer drug tests, comes after Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and other groups advocated for changes in Canada’s Criminal Code.

The new law may have spurred a contentious response however, as drug tests from blood and urine samples may reveal that illicit drugs have been taken, but cannot indicate that the user was impaired at the time of driving. What kind of charges can be laid in the light of such evidence may be an issue for intense debate in courtrooms across Ontario.

A police officer would have to propose drug tests after noticeable impairment and may even have to see the drug being taken by the driver to have a sound case against the accused. Car searches may also be subject to future controversy.

Beginning July 2, drivers suspected of being high will be required to perform physical tests at the side of the road, such as walking a straight line. If they fail, they will be sent to the police station for further testing by a trained “drug recognition expert” and then be forced to give blood, urine, or saliva samples if they flunk the second test as well.

Critics say the new law could cause more problems that it solves, particularly because there is no reliable scientific test to detect drug use. Also, while there is a measurable link between blood alcohol levels and driving ability, research is lacking to equate drug quantity and impairment.

Another potential problem in testing bodily fluids is that they can detect marijuana smoked several days or months earlier and the effect has worn off.

The laws’ impact on road safety will surely be under intense scrutiny in the coming weeks, as summer holidays and activities see drivers indulge in recreational drug and alcohol use. Finding clear evidence of impairment will be a challenge for police and may rely on the presentation of physical materials found at the scene to hold up in court.

Keep coming to Legal Action Blog to get more updates on this new law and feel free to leave your comments below. We are happy to answer your questions and concerns. Keep in mind that we will be screening all the comments before posting them, to check for confidentiality concerns.