If there ever was any doubt that organized crime is infiltrating small-town Ontario, it was evident Wednesday morning in London.
At a media conference at the headquarters of the London Police Service, the results of a joint force criminal investigation were on display.
An investigation that began last year in Aylmer resulted in the arrest of four members of Outlaw Motorcycle Groups and eight associates.
The joint force initiative involved police services in St. Thomas, Aylmer and Strathroy-Caradoc with the assistance of the OPP and London Police Services.
In total 52 charges were laid in the drug trafficking investigation.
Aylmer Deputy Police Chief Kyle Johnstone says the addition of a criminal investigator last year to the ranks of the service helped move the investigation along.

“One full-time detective who basically deals with street crime and criminal investigations that are a little more complex and really with that role was how we were able to take this to the next level from just that general information to getting it to the point where we could approach our partners and come to the table with something that makes sense.
“Something that was actionable and, at the end of the day we were really proud that we were able to do that.”
The investigation resulted in the seizure of illicit drugs, including suspected fentanyl and cocaine, worth an estimated $33,000 (street value) and illegal firearms.
Once thought to be limited to larger urban areas, organized crime is now infiltrating smaller communities. At the media scrum, details of Operation Derailleur were revealed.
It was a collaborative effort stresses St. Thomas Police Service Insp. Steve Bogart.
“Our smaller communities are not immune to these issues, but certainly, sometimes we are more aware than larger centres because we are so connected to our community.
“We really embody community policing, so we are obtaining information from our community when we see Outlaw motorcycle members.
“We receive calls for service, we receive officer’s information that they actually see them travelling in our community.”
On June 27, the OPP Biker Enforcement Unit executed 11 search warrants at eight locations, including the Outlaws Motorcycle Club clubhouse and residences in Aylmer, St. Thomas and Strathroy.
Bogart confirms organized crime is infiltrating smaller communities.

“Every day our front-line members are out there trying to gather intelligence, as are our specialty units like our street crime unit that had a big play in this.”

“We’re on major highways, that connect between Windsor and Toronto and we really are a pipeline.
“We’re close to the City of London and smaller cities where some of the members are residing makes it easy for transient criminal behaviour.”
Strathroy-Caradoc Deputy Police Chief Brent Cushman points to the situation in his community.
“Yeah, definitely there’s access to the 401 and 402 within 10 minutes either way.
“I also believe that they are probably set up in our community thinking that we’re a smaller community and that they may not get the attention that they would in a bigger city like London.”
Cushman added, “We know where these people hang out, we know kind of where they live and we know what to look for.
“Every day our front-line members are out there trying to gather intelligence, as are our specialty units like our street crime unit that had a big play in this.”
Acting Detective Superintendent Lee Fulford, Director of the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau added, “This investigation has disrupted a drug trafficking ring spanning throughout Southern Ontario.”

COMMITTED TO THIS COMMUNITY

We had the opportunity a week ago to get to know the new Elgin OPP detachment commander taking over from Mark Loucas.
Insp. Jennifer Neamtz assumed the position in Elgin on June 6 after a stint in Wellington County.
We began the conversation by covering her stops as she advanced her 18-year career.
“Typically you get to stay where you like to stay unless an opportunity comes open for you or you would like to try something new which is such a benefit of the OPP and being able to travel the province.
“I’ve been very fortunate, I started in Haldimand and then I was able to move into Central Region at Kawartha Lakes in Peterborough and from there I went to the coms (communication) centre in Orillia and was able to work the 9-1-1 system and was promoted there.”
Perhaps her most notable posting was the remote northern Indigenous community of Pikangikum where, in 2020, she was awarded the Ontario Women in Law Enforcement Award.
More on that in a moment.
Neamtz admits the Elgin posting was extremely alluring.
“I couldn’t say no when this was available. It’s such a beautiful area, such a sought-after area. We’re definitely putting down roots.”
The Elgin detachment now includes the Chatham-Kent region and that was part of the attraction, she advises.
“That’s one of the reasons Elgin is such a fantastic detachment because we get the benefit of having not only general law enforcement duties here for our members where we get to work very closely with the community, now we also have Chatham, which is primarily a highway safety division detachment.
“So it is taking care of our highways, the 401 and Hwy. 40 and making sure our full community is being taken care of. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our members to have exposure doing both sides of the house of policing.

“Police typically are the first line of response where we’re not necessarily the resource they should be reaching out to, so if we can connect people with that right from the onset, they’ll be able to reach out and be connected for the next time they need assistance.”

However, her northern posting is a story unto itself.
“I got a lot more than I originally planned for. I arrived in the community in December 2019 and then, of course, in March 2020 the wheels fell off everything with COVID.
“Being an Indigenous remote community, they were already vulnerable in the sense that their medical facility was not in the sense that we know it.
“What they have is a nursing station and so to bring a pandemic to that community was absolutely horrifying for them. So what they did was they locked the community down. Which meant no one was allowed in and no one was allowed out.
“So we had to work very closely with the chief and counsel, with the government and with the health officials so we could get testing to allow members to still come in and do policing services which were mandatory in the community to maintain safety.
“It was a wonderful partnership. They are a very resilient community and just beautiful people all around.”
Albeit, struggling with mental health issues and that’s where Neamtz helped develop a community-based suicide prevention program.
“They recognized me with a performance excellence award for my development of a mental health program in Pikangikum which was so necessary in that community because they had the highest suicide rate for youth and within a year, we saw close to a 50 per cent decrease because of the great work that the community also committed to doing.

“It’s a good change, though. Recognizing that not everything is a police issue and that there are other avenues to assist people. There definitely has been a positive change in the direction of helping people connect to resources that are more appropriate than policing.”

“They sent members out from within the community to be trained so they could come back and take care of their community because they had such an understanding of the culture and the need.”
Modestly, Neamtz adds, “We were really just there to help them take on that role.”
As documented in conversations with the St. Thomas Police Service, mental health issues in the community are steering the direction of policing going forward.
As witnessed by the recent announcement a mental health component is being added to the curriculum at the Ontario Police College near Aylmer.
“I’m so glad that is something that is being added because to have our officers at least have a knowledge of what to look for and how we can connect people with resources.
“Police typically are the first line of response where we’re not necessarily the resource they should be reaching out to, so if we can connect people with that right from the onset, they’ll be able to reach out and be connected for the next time they need assistance.
“So it’s really beneficial for our members to be trained and we work very closely with our partners in St. Thomas, Aylmer, Chatham-Kent and London so we can all be on the same page when we’re helping people in the community to connect with resources.
Over her nearly two-decade career, Neamtz acknowledges the evolution of policing from primarily enforcement to dealing with a myriad of social issues.
“It’s a good change, though. Recognizing that not everything is a police issue and that there are other avenues to assist people. There definitely has been a positive change in the direction of helping people connect to resources that are more appropriate than policing.”
“Even though we have a large area and a great number of communities that we’re working with, we have such a great relationship that we’re able to facilitate the good communication that we want to keep doing.

“I’m a bit of a people person, I like to talk and I like to get out and meet people. I think that’s an integral part of being part of the community.”

Her travels throughout the province enhance what she brings to the table in Elgin.
“Because I have been to several locations and experienced a lot of different partnerships, I’m able to bring those resources with me and that experience with me on how to work together with our partners and bring other resources.
“An example of that is we’re bringing to this community a program to assist with locating missing persons, Project Lifesaver. We’re working right now with some partners to locate some funding for that program so that we can help to bring it here.
“It’s something we’ve used in other communities I’ve worked in and we see a benefit for it here in Elgin.”
Community engagement is a critical element of policing for Neamtz.
“I’ve made a point of going out with my members to ride with them because I don’t want to lose touch with what my members are facing day to day.
She advises don’t be surprised to see officers on bicycle patrols as well as foot patrols and on ATVs.
“People are going to be sick of seeing us,” she laughs.
She continues, “Having us out there is a deterrent to crime. And it makes us accessible to businesses, the local community and even to tourism.”
As for priorities, Neamtz wants to continue working with St. Thomas and Aylmer police on mental health issues, and homelessness which are already important considerations in those communities.
“I’m very proud to be here and I’m committed to this community and the safety and well-being of the community as a whole.”
Neamtz concludes, “I’m a bit of a people person, I like to talk and I like to get out and meet people. I think that’s an integral part of being part of the community.”

DON’T DO IT . . .

The city is still reeling after the tragic incident Tuesday afternoon on Talbot Street at Inkerman that killed 11-year-old Aiden Curtis.
A 19-year-old impaired motorist lost control of his pick-up truck and plowed into a group of pedestrians.
A woman remains in a London hospital with what had been life-threatening injuries and three others received less serious injuries.

“When it comes to impaired driving and the significant threat it poses to public safety, you have been warned – don’t do it.”

An episode that St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp referred to as “a terrible tragedy.”
In an official statement, Roskamp went further noting, “There are no excuses for this senseless tragedy. Impaired driving-related collisions are preventable.”
He goes on to advise, “Criminal driving offences have been increasing in recent years in St. Thomas.
“Impaired driving by alcohol and drugs or a combination thereof increased by 19 per cent in 2022.”
He was firm in promising the police service “will continue to prioritize road safety and hold accountable those who chose to drive drunk or high.
“Despite daily road safety initiatives, RIDE programs and awareness campaigns by a number of service providers, these crimes continue to occur.
“We will continue to arrest, charge and advocate for strong sentences for those who fail to recognize community expectations and the laws surrounding impaired driving.”
Roskamp left no doubt about the message from the St. Thomas Police Service.
“When it comes to impaired driving and the significant threat it poses to public safety, you have been warned – don’t do it.”

REMEMBER WITH RED

As Aiden Curtis walked down Talbot Street Tuesday afternoon with his friends, he no doubt was thinking ahead to Monday.
You see, Aiden would have celebrated his 12th birthday that day. His special day should have been a joyous, carefree occasion filled with gifts, best wishes and endless hope for the future.
That future was snuffed out through the selfish actions of an individual who believed any number of impaired driving messages applied to everyone else, not him.
What remains to be seen is how many of his birthdays will be celebrated behind bars, not in bars.
However, we all can celebrate Aiden’s birthday by hanging red balloons outside our residences, businesses or places of employment.
Because red was Aiden’s favourite colour.

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And a reminder, I can be heard weekday afternoons as news anchor and reporter on 94.1 myFM in St. Thomas. As always, your comments and input are appreciated.