Peterborough Blogs
Peterborough Police Thank Good Samaritan For Turning In Lost Satchel Filled With Valuables
/The Peterborough Police Service would like to thank a Good Samaritan who returned a satchel filled with valuables after a Saturday incident.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The resident located a satchel in a parking lot near Lansdowne Street and Park Street. It contained identification, credit cards, and several thousand dollars in cash. The Good Samaritan turned the bag into the police.
Officers could locate and return the property to the rightful owner, who was extremely thankful.
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14-Year-Old Teen Missing; Peterborough Police Seeking Public's Help In Locating Him
/UPDATE: He has been found safe.
The Peterborough Police Service has declared 14-year-old Preston Howard missing since Monday morning and is asking for the public’s assistance in locating him.
He was last seen in the area of Bensfort Road and Collison Avenue in the early morning hours on Monday.
Howard is described as:
14 years of age
Caucasian male
Thin build
Medium-length brown hair
Scratches on his face
Wearing a black puffy Columbia coat and black and white high-top shoes
Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
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Peterborough Police Service Partners With Équité Association to Combat Auto Theft
/The Peterborough Police Service is collaborating with Équité Association to combat and prevent auto thefts in the Peterborough area through Project CLASP.
(left to right) Bryan Gast, VP, Investigative Services, Équité; Chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough Police Service and Betty Ng, Équité. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service.
Équité will aid the police through data and analytics, vehicle identification and coordinated investigations.
To mitigate the risk, Équité recommends a layered approach that includes simple steps like locking doors, installing visible or audible anti-theft devices, using vehicle immobilizers and investing in tracking systems.
“Auto theft has reached crisis levels in this country. Last year, auto theft in Canada cost more than $1.2 billion dollars,” said Bryan Gast, Équité vice president. “This problem cannot be remedied in isolation; it requires this kind of collaborative approach through public and private partnerships to ultimately combat this crime.”
“The Peterborough area is not immune to this type of crime,” said Chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough Police Service. “In 2023, there were 143 vehicles reported stolen. We are also aware of the trends in other communities and this partnership will help make sure we can spread messages of prevention about auto theft to our own residents.”
Anonymous information can be sent to Peterborough Northumberland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online and tipsters may be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward.
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Combustibles Close to Heater Cause Evening Garage Fire On Ravenwood Drive
/A light smoke and a fire broke out in a Ravenwood Drive garage on Thursday evening.
Photo by Keegan Beekers.
There were 17 Peterborough Fire Services firefighters who arrived on the scene.
The first responders noticed the smoke from an attached garage and quickly extinguished a couch that was on fire without incident.
There were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire was due to be a heater too close to combustibles.
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Peterborough Fire Services Conduct Ice Rescue Training; Warns Public that 'No Ice Is Completely Safe'
/Peterborough Fighter Service firefighters endured the frigid waters during ice rescue training at the stormwater pond on Sherbrooke Street on Friday morning.
Photo courtesy of Peterborough Fire Services.
The pond was somewhat frozen due to the warmer weather Peterborough has had in the past week.
According to the Peterborough Fire Service's X account, the message is that there is no completely safe ice and to stay off it.
“You cannot tell the strength of ice by its appearance. Temperature, thickness, snow cover, water depth and size are all factors affecting ice safety.”
Four Peterborough Officers Recognized From August Gunpoint Standoff At Car Dealership
/Four Peterborough Police Service officers were recognized at a Police Services Board meeting on Tuesday night concerning an incident at a car dealership in August 2023.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Police Service.
PC Mitchell Northey, PC Josh Gibbs, PC Nick Gannon and Sergeant Mike Self were recognized for their bravery and commitment to public safety in the situation. It involved an armed standoff with the suspect who held an employee at the business at gunpoint according to the police report.
The officers also administered first aid to the suspect after he drank a substance and collapsed. The man was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre but died. No one else was injured in the incident.
“If it were not for the brave actions of the officers involved placing their own lives in direct danger to save the lives of others, it is possible that this incident could have ended more tragic. The actions of these officers were heroic and that is why the awards committee and the Chief recommended that they all be recognized with a Board commendation,” according to a statement in a press release.
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Two-Vehicle Collision At Lansdowne Street and Ashburnham Road; Injuries Unknown
/A two-vehicle collision occurred at the intersection of Lansdowne Street and Ashburnham Road late Monday morning.
Peterborough Police Service, Peterborough Fire Services, ambulances and tow trucks were present at the accident. The intersection was not closed at the time of the accident and traffic movement was slow during cleanup.
It is unknown if there are any injuries and if anyone was sent to local hospitals for medical care.
The accident occurred between a Mercury and a Ford Bronco. The former sustained significant damage to its passenger side while the latter sustained minor front bumper damage. Tow trucks took both vehicles away.
All first responders have vacated the area early in the noon hour with traffic moving normally.
St. John Paul Elementary II School Reopened After Suspicious Object Discovered; No Threat to Public, Kawartha Lakes Police Say
/Students and staff of St. John Paul II Elementary School can breathe a sigh of relief as their school reopened after a faculty member discovered a report of a suspicious object on Monday morning.
Photo courtesy of St. John Paul’s Catholic Elementary SChool.
The object was discovered at roughly 8:30 a.m. at the Lindsay school.
Kawartha Lakes Police were contacted and had the school evacuated for safety precautions.
After a thorough search of the school and grounds, the police concluded that the object did not threaten the public.
Police say there is absolutely no threat to public safety. Therefore, the scene has been released and the school has been re-opened.
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Peterborough Police to Adapt Verified Alarm Response Program
/The Peterborough Police Service has introduced a Verified Alarm Response Program (VARP) where Alarm Monitoring Services will be required to verify any alarm signal they receive before notifying police beginning on March 1.
Photo courtesy of the PEterborough Police Service.
“The Peterborough Police Service is adopting VARP to improve service delivery to residents and business owners and to decrease the time spent responding to false alarms,” says Peter Sejrup, Inspector, Support Services, Peterborough Police Service. “Annually, the Peterborough Police Service responds to approximately 1,000 calls for service regarding alarms with a 5-year average false rate of approximately 94 per cent. This represents a significant amount of resources dedicated to incidents where police are not required.”
To dispatch police to a property-related alarm, alarm monitoring services will have to verify that a criminal offence has occurred or is occurring using at least one of the following verification criteria:
Audio Signal (confirm criminal activity through sound detected on the premises)
Video Signal (confirm criminal activity through visual images)
On-Scene Witnesses (who can confirm suspected criminal activity from the scene)
Multiple Alarm Activation Points (at least two sensors in a manner or sequence that indicates suspected criminal activity)
