Kingston police have kicked off programs for Ontario’s annual Crime Prevention Week, which is set to run from Nov. 3 to 9 this year.
The week-long focus on preventing crime is supported by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), the Ministry of the Solicitor General and all police services across Ontario, according to a press release.
Kingston police say they will be focusing on three primary crime prevention initiatives this year, which include fraud prevention, community risk watch and police-youth dialogue. Police say they will be working with the government, community groups and social service providers to highlight crime prevention as a shared responsibility within the community.
This year’s theme is Preventing Crime, Protecting People, which police say will enable them to promote not only the benefits of law enforcement but a holistic community approach to solving criminal incidents and issues in relation to safety and well-being.
Fraud prevention
According to the release, Kingston police’s fraud unit has been actively seeking and maintaining partnerships with local banks and businesses in the city in order to be able to provide information and education on fraud prevention. Police say public education is key to fraud prevention.
Police also add that detectives in the fraud unit are currently investigating a significant number of fraud cases, with losses reportedly totalling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, although officers have not said exactly how many fraud cases are currently being investigated yet.
In late October, police said several people were scammed out of nearly $30,000. Officers are investigating a higher-than-normal amount of cases compared to past years, according to police.
The people who police say were scammed had fallen victim to a CRA scam and were reportedly tricked into thinking they owed the Canada Revenue Agency money.
Police say scammers have begun to make spoof calls suggesting the caller is from a police agency. Scammers will reportedly manipulate caller ID to say RCMP, OPP or Kingston police, however officers warn that these calls are not from anyone in law enforcement.
“If you are asked by any means or any story to send Bitcoin or gift card or numbers to someone, then that’s a fraud. That’s a scam,” Sgt. Carla Stacey, a detective with the fraud and vulnerable sector with the Kingston police, told Global News on Monday.
“If you think you are possibly being scammed then call the police right away, and we will be able to answer your question.”
Officers are hoping to reduce the number of potential victims by getting people to talk and share knowledge on fraud prevention.
Kingston community risk watch
Police say the community risk watch initiative is a risk-based crime prevention model. According to a release, it is a community partnership effort that represents a broad variety of community sectors and partners.
Police say each of the agencies involved has a mandate to serve individuals who are experiencing challenges and may be at “acutely elevated risk” of harm.
Partners are able to combine each agency’s strengths and resources to better serve community residents, decrease risk and prevent negative outcomes through an intervention plan, police say.
Police-youth dialogue
The release also states that Kingston police have partnered with the Ontario Justice Education Network and the Kingston Immigration Partnership to provide an “interactive eight-session justice education series designed to promote positive interactions, build knowledge … challenge perceptions and enhance skills to foster greater relations between youth and police in communities across Ontario.”
The project offers the opportunity for discussions between youth, police officers and lawyers, where all parties involved can work together to generate safe solutions to issues the community is facing, police say.
The police have partnered with the Kingston Immigration Partnership to focus on a program on newcomers to Canada and the community as well, according to the release.
— With files from Neil McArtney
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