CALEDON OPP WELCOMES 8 NEW RECRUITS

February 25, 2021 · 0 Comments

The Caledon Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) welcomes eight new officers to their ranks. They graduated on February 4, 2021 and come from various walks of life.

PC Dawn Martin

PC Martin is a mom of three is a registered massage therapist. Policing is now a second career for her. She’s a sports enthusiast and plays/coaches basketball and soccer.

PC Jesse Nobleman

PC Nobleman is a recent graduate of the Police Studies program at Georgian College. He’s passionate about soccer and rugby. He enjoys supporting his community by volunteering his time with Meals on Wheels, Arthritis Society, and other local events.

PC Helena Beck

Prior joining the OPP, PC Beck was a Municipal By-Law Officer. She’s a recent graduate from the Police Studies program at Georgian College. In her free time, she coaches/plays soccer. She loves baking, hiking, and mountain biking.

PC Jessica Jones

PC Jones played hockey professionally, which took her all over Europe and the US. She also coaches hockey. She enjoys spending time with her dog and loves being outdoors.

PC Jonathan Shane

PC Shane comes from the military. He’s a fitness enthusiast. He plays the drums and enjoys the outdoors.

PC Samuel Wurfel

PC Wurfel comes from the military. He is of French and Indigenous (Oneida) heritage. He loves the outdoors, is an avid hunter, and enjoys football and rugby.

PC Jamie-Lee Davison

PC Davison was a police dispatcher for the Orangeville Police Service for the past three years. Previously, she was a volunteer firefighter. She’s an avid baseball player and enjoy riding around in her ATV.

PC Cole Wright

PC Wright is a recent Police Studies graduate at Georgian College. Previously, he held positions in the field of security and Municipal By-law enforcement. He volunteered his time by being a member of the OPP’s Auxiliary program prior to being hired as a full-time officer. He’s also a scuba diver.

“Their diverse life and work experience will greatly benefit the safety of our growing Caledon communities,” said the Detachment. “Please join Caledon OPP in wishing them a safe and successful policing career.”

FATAL COLLISION IN AMARANTH

On Saturday, February 20, at approximately 8:26 a.m., officers from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Dufferin Detachment responded to a motor vehicle collision that occurred on County Road 12 and 20th Side Road in the Township of Amaranth.

The collision involved two motor vehicles – a silver and a red sedan.

“Initial investigation revealed that the silver sedan was travelling southbound on County Road 12 and the red sedan was going eastbound on 20th Side Road. The silver sedan failed to stop at its stop sign and collided with the red sedan.

“The driver and passenger from the silver sedan suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the collision and were transported to a local hospital.”

The driver of the red sedan was the sole occupant of the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries as a result of the collision. The deceased driver has been identified as Scott Hambleton, 60, of Grand Valley.

“The OPP›s Technical Collision Investigation Unit and Reconstructionist were deployed to the scene to assist with the investigation. Dufferin OPP continues to investigate the collision and is appealing to the public for additional witnesses. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Dufferin OPP detachment at 1-888-310-1122.

“You can also provide information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers

at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). When you contact Crime Stoppers you stay anonymous, you never have to testify, and you could receive a cash reward of up to $2,000 upon an arrest.”

If you had witnessed the collision and wish to speak to victim services, Caledon/Dufferin Victim Services can be reached at 905-951-3838.

IMPAIRED DRIVING CHARGES

On February 22, at approximately 12:03 a.m., a motorist contacted the Caledon Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to report a possible impaired driver on Mayfield Road, in the Town of Caledon. With the assistance of the caller, an officer located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.

“As part of the investigation, the driver was asked to provide a sample of their breath into an Approved Roadside Screening Device, which resulted in a ‘fail’ reading,” said the OPP. “The driver was then placed under arrest for Operation while Impaired – Blood Alcohol Concentration over 80 mg, and transported to the Caledon OPP Detachment, where further breath tests were conducted.”

As a result, Rayona Raymond D’Cruz, 26, of Waterloo, was charged with:

Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (B.A.C.) over 80 mg;

Have care or control of vehicle with cannabis readily available; and

Fail to have insurance card.

The accused is expected to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Orangeville on May 6, 2021, to answer to the charges. The charges have not been proven.

“Caledon OPP would like to thank the member of the public for making the call and reporting the above impaired driver and by doing so, making our roadways safer.”

How to spot an impaired driver:

Quick acceleration or deceleration

Weaving across the road

Almost striking an object, curb, or vehicle

Stopping without a cause or erratic breaking

Drifting in and out of traffic lanes

Turning abruptly or illegally

If you suspect impaired driving, call 9-1-1 immediately.

COUNTERFEIT CHEQUE SCAM

On February 14, 2021, the Caledon Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a report of an employment/counterfeit cheque scam.

The victim reported finding employment online for a legitimate organization based out of Toronto. All correspondence was performed by email and the interview was conducted by ways of an online survey. Since it was a “work from home” position, the organization offered to purchase the required office furniture.

The victim received an invoice for just under $5,000 for furniture from what appeared to be a legitimate furniture company based out of Quebec. An email cheque was sent to the victim for the same amount as a form of reimbursement. Since no elements of the transaction seemed suspicious at the time, the furniture was then paid for by sending two separate e-transfers to two different Gmail accounts.

The bank later informed the victim that the cheque received by email did not go through. As a result, the funds used to purchase the furniture were lost, and no office furniture was purchased.

A call to the organization believed to have been hired from revealed that this was a scam. The correspondence did not come from them.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website (www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca) contains information on various scams. In this specific situation, a counterfeit cheque was used to obtain funds from the victim.

Caledon OPP would like to remind everyone that scammers use tactics to make their requests appear legitimate. Always verify the information by contacting organizations directly at the coordinates provided on official websites.

Residents are asked to be mindful of scammer red-flags:

Unsolicited phone calls, emails, texts or mail.

Interactions that are coerced, threatening, or involving conversations that you are told not to discuss with anyone.

Payments or money transactions that are requested in the form of cryptocurrency, money transfer or gift cards.

Government agencies notifying you of payments via text message.

The use of free web-based email accounts

And remember:

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Hang up the phone, delete an email or text if you think it’s a scam.

Research sellers and websites before making purchases or donations.

Don’t let anyone pressure you into providing personal information.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report online at www.antifraudcentre.ca; you can also contact your local police service or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).