Rarely does a day go by that the St. Thomas Police Service media release does not contain at least one reference to domestic violence or intimate partner violence incidents. And the cases are increasing in frequency.
This led to the police service pursuing provincial funding to establish programs to not only assist victims of these crimes, but also to attend to those committing violent acts to avoid repeat occurrences.
Last month, the St. Thomas Police Service received $341,000 in provincial funding to support early intervention efforts to reduce intimate partner violence. The funds will also strengthen victim safety within the community.
The grant is courtesy of the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General’s Victim Support Grant Program.
In partnership with Changing Ways, the money will support Pathways to Change: Breaking the Cycle of Harm.
Changing Ways is a community organization that provides specialized counselling and education for those seeking to end abusive behaviour and take responsibility for their actions.
Insp. Matt Lobsinger (pictured at left) with the St. Thomas Police Service explains the relationship with Changing Ways and their cooperation on the funding application.
“So I did some research and came across Changing Ways. I mean, they’ve been around for decades now. They are, from where I sit, professionals in the industry with programming in place for accused people.
“You review all the intimate partner violence cases that come in, gender-based violence, and you see the same names a lot.
“We have our core functions and the things that we can do as a police service. And this is just outside of that. So we respond to the call. We’ll make sure people are safe. We’ll do what we can while we’re there to diffuse it.
“You know, usually someone might leave for a short amount of time if it’s a non-charge situation. It’s just been a verbal argument. But it really doesn’t give them any tools for when they come back to avoid it in the future. And that’s not something our training encompasses.
“So that’s where we need to, like we have with other things, figure out who in the community we can partner with to help us help the community.
“So Changing Ways, it actually seemed like a very good fit. The more I read about them, and then we met, it just seemed like a very good fit.
“Then we put the grant proposal in kind of with that outline tackling recidivism, giving people more tools to avoid this, to have fewer victims, to have fewer accused, to just make the community safer.”
As is the case with Victim Services Elgin, Changing Ways now has an office in the lobby area of the police station.
“We’ve been sending referrals over already. You can actually access their right off of our front lobby. So they’re directly in our police service, but you’re also not dealing with the police when you come in to see them, which I think is good.
“It helps hopefully, break the stigma of some people coming into the police station. And seeing that, you know, we are here to help, especially in this light. So it’s great to have them in-house. It just makes the referral process easier.”
Lobsinger, who previously was the domestic violence coordinator with the St. Thomas Police Service, explains that a dedicated High Risk Intimate Partner Violence case manager from Changing Ways will be embedded within the police service, working alongside officers.
“So essentially, what happens is we respond like we always have operationally to the call. And then let’s just say it’s a non-charge situation where it’s a verbal argument. So our officers will go, they’ll deal with it, they’ll make sure that that’s what it is.
“Once they clear, then a referral goes over to Changing Ways. So the next morning when they start, they’ll get a referral with basically just the people’s names and who it is and a brief generic summary.
“And then they reach out and follow up in their capacity. So again, a non-police agency and they’ll provide counselling, they’ll provide tools and tips.
“The big piece here is they’re going to also help the accused. And when I say help, somewhat in rehabilitation, helping them see the effect that their actions are having on other people, their partners, the community as a whole.”
“They’ve already had a number of new referrals, meetings and people coming in that they are now helping. Hopefully, this provides them now with the resources to, before things escalate.”
He stresses that, in addition to supporting victims, Changing Ways will work directly with accused persons by providing targeted interventions, counselling, and programming aimed at reducing recidivism, addressing underlying risk factors, and preventing future harm.
“The big piece here is they’re going to also help the accused. And when I say help, somewhat in rehabilitation, helping them see the effect that their actions are having on other people, their partners, the community as a whole.
“And again, hopefully really tackle that recidivism piece and prevent future occurrences with the victim and just help people live happier.”
The initiative aims to reduce repeat incidents of intimate partner violence and lessen the long-term impact on victims, families and the community-at-large. While allowing officers to focus on the core functions of policing.
Lobsinger points out, “The statistics show it’s not always the first time that they come to us. And then I’m also really hopeful that once offenders get into our program, they stay in it until they don’t need it anymore. And they really take advantage of these supports, and they really learn and grow from it and really make a difference in their and their partner’s life.”
He continues, “As you go through our intimate partner violence logs and history, it’s a lot of the same offender names. And there really isn’t much in play that’s going to curb it.”
“Yes, jail and arrest and charges and everything else. But when you really drill down to the systemic kind of why is this happening, there hasn’t been a whole lot of supports there.
“So now I think it’s really time to tackle that. Obviously, the victims are going to get a lot of help and support.
“But now it’s the other side. So how do we prevent this again for this victim and other victims?”
To learn more about Changing Ways, you can visit http://changingways.on.ca
INFORMATION SESSION TO SHED LIGHT ON ELDER FRAUD
It’s a heart-wrenching statistic.
We know that fraud targeting seniors accounted for about 180 million dollars in losses in 2024, and that number has been increasing.
With that as the backdrop, Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew Lawton is hosting another of his public information sessions in partnership with the St. Thomas Police Service.
Speaking with Lawton on Friday (March 6), he points out, “You have elder abuse where loved ones, trusted people in seniors’ lives, abuse them and steal money from them.
“And then you also have situations in which seniors fall victim to phone scams, email scams, romance scams, all of these different things.”
The session, to be held on March 18, is to advise people what to look out for and also acknowledge some of the federal resources that are available to people who think they are potentially being victimized by fraud or, sadly, who might have already been impacted.
Lawton stresses, “Everyone needs to be vigilant for fraud, and I think we do need to put resources out in general. People think they’re too smart to fall victim to it, but very intelligent people get sucked into this.
“And one of the common ones that I know has targeted seniors is someone masquerading as a child or grandchild on Facebook, setting up an account that looks very similar to the one that they usually communicate with their child or grandchild on, and sending a request that says they’re in trouble and they need help.
“People prey on the loneliness of seniors, so I think it’s important for everyone to understand what types of scams are out there, because fraudsters have also gotten more vigilant.
“My office has dealt with people who have gone through this. We want to provide whatever information we can. If we can stop even one more person from going down this road, I think that would be time well spent.”
“So it’s tragic that we live in such a world and that this is something we have to be on guard for. But it is. And I think the best thing we can do as a community is equip ourselves and equip each other to deal with it and recognize it and then learn how to combat it.”
And now with the emergence of AI, the scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“Yes, and this is a very live issue,” concedes Lawton. “And again, law historically can be years or sometimes decades behind technology. And this is a case where technology is moving at such a pace that we need to figure out how we’re doing with it.
“There was an AI connection to the tragedy that happened in Tumbler Ridge (the mass shooting in British Columbia), which I think has precipitated a lot of this discussion.
“The other aspect, which is similar to AI, is what are called deepfakes. And this is someone using technology to mimic someone’s voice or even someone’s likeness.
“And now and then you’ll see an ad on Facebook of some celebrity or even a politician endorsing some investment vehicle, and it’s entirely fake.
“And, we’ve had people that have reached out to our office who say, the Prime Minister was talking about this product online. What was it called? And we have to tell them, no, that wasn’t the Prime Minister. That wasn’t real. That was someone trying to steal from you.
“So it’s tragic that we live in such a world and that this is something we have to be on guard for. But it is. And I think the best thing we can do as a community is equip ourselves and equip each other to deal with it and recognize it and then learn how to combat it.”
As to the format for the afternoon session, Lawton advises, “So we’re hosting it, and we want to talk about some of the federal resources that are available.
“The St. Thomas Police Service has also done a lot of work on this. So they’re coming in with a presentation on what they’ve seen and how they can support people.
“And really, we want to make sure we have time for questions so people can ask about situations they’ve encountered. We want this to be very practical, very tangible information.
“What are the policies and resources available? What are the things to look out for? And how can we make sure that we’re all protected?”
At the beginning of this year, Lawton sent out a calendar to constituents that included fraud information and resources.
“We’re also putting together a seniors’ information booklet, which will be available through our office. And we’ll bring some down here and to community events.
“We just think everyone needs to know what’s out there because there is a lot that’s been done at this from multiple levels of government, and from non-governmental organizations.
“But it’s about making sure that people are thinking of this proactively so that these calls are not coming in after something has happened. Because we know it’s very difficult to recover money lost to scams after the fact.
“So we want to intercept as much as we can and help people do that.”
And you have to wonder how many more cases go unreported because the victim is embarrassed to admit they have been bilked.
“People get very embarrassed about it. They don’t want to reach out. I’ve heard of a number of cases like that. And then you also see extortion happen where someone says, I’m going to tell people unless you pay me even more money.
“So this is why there is no shame in it. I mean, very smart people have been sucked into these things. It’s not just about seniors, but we know that seniors are particularly vulnerable because they weren’t raised with the internet as a fact of life. So they don’t know how it can be used by bad actors to the same extent.
“That’s why we want to focus this session on seniors. But I think there’s definitely an appetite for a broader conversation about this.
The information session is 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, in Anderson Hall at the CASO station. There is no need to pre-register, but you can RSVP by contacting Lawton’s constituency office at 519-637-4130.
CHOPPY WATER AHEAD FOR SWIMMING LESSONS BYLAW?
Adopting a temporary bylaw, which would permit Joy Dawdy to continue offering swimming lessons in her backyard pool, may not be such smooth sailing, after all.
The bylaw was the subject of discussion at Monday’s (March 2) council meeting, with Coun. Jeff Kohler kicked off the line of questioning.
One provision of the temporary bylaw would allow for lessons to run in June, July, August, and September on any day between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
This prompted Kohler to observe that council agreed to proceed with a temporary bylaw under the belief that the classes would only operate five days per week, as has been the case in the past.
Kohler added, “Based on those things that we had already talked about, and I thought she (Joy Dawdy) agreed to, is why I definitely voted in favour to proceed this way.”
A public meeting will be held on April 13 to garner feedback on the conditions included in the temporary bylaw.
And staff had previously indicated that a follow-up report would be prepared for council, providing a summary of feedback received at the public meeting, including any recommended revisions to the draft bylaw.
Responding to Kohler, Michelle Knieriem, Manager of Planning Services, pointed out, “There’s a good chance that the second version (of the draft bylaw) will be further informed by the public meeting. By what we hear from you, the public and from council.”
In response to a question from Coun. Gary Clarke about temporary bylaws, Knieriam added, “Council could decide not to move forward with a temporary use bylaw for this particular site.
“Staff were directed to prepare one, but that doesn’t mean that council has to pass the bylaw.”
After the general consensus from council last December that a compromise could be reached to allow Dawdy to continue with her backyard lessons, are some members of council finding the water is a little colder than anticipated?
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FOR THE CALENDAR
Two upcoming public meetings may shed some light on the road ahead for the Elgin County Railway Museum.
On March 10, the public is invited to preview the concept designs “for the new Elgin County Railway Museum,” according to a promotional release.
The event runs from 4 to 7 p.m. at the CASO station.
And then on March 12, there is a public information meeting to update the community “on the current state of the Elgin County Railway Museum building and an exciting look at what the future could hold.”
There will be an overview of the current condition of the building, with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities for the structure. There will be conceptual plans for future improvements, and public input is encouraged.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the CASO station, 750 Talbot Street in St. Thomas.
Questions and comments may be emailed to City Scope
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