Unsettling news this week from the St. Thomas Police Service related to intimate partner violence (IPV).
Police are seeing a steady increase in both incidents and charges laid over the past three years.
In 2022, there were 683 incidents with 114 resulting in charges.
Last year, the number of incidents had risen to 761 with 157 resulting in charges.
For incidents, that is an 11.4 per cent increase since 2022 and a 37.7 per cent increase in the number of charges laid.
As noted in a media release this week, “To meet this challenge, the St. Thomas Police Service deploys highly trained officers and support staff specializing in IPV investigations.
“Our coordinated approach is led by the Community Patrol Division and Investigative Services Unit and a collaboration with multi-sectoral professionals, like Victim Services Elgin.
“The importance of this work was formally recognized in the 2023-26 Strategic Plan, which identifies domestic violence and violence against women as key priorities for our service.”
Tag Archives: intimate partner violence
‘I am getting so tired of losing women and children because nobody is listening’ – Jodi Marissen, whose letter moved St. Thomas city council to action
“I actually was recording it and you can audibly hear me at the end of it, after they voted unanimously I was definitely overwhelmed with emotion.”
That was the reaction of Jodi Marissen when at the April 15 meeting, members of St. Thomas city council unanimously endorsed a motion declaring intimate partner violence to be an epidemic in the city.
That motions was based on a letter sent to council by Marissen – and supported by similar correspondence from St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp – urging council to take that step on behalf “of all the vulnerable women and children of the City of St. Thomas . . . on behalf of the abused women and children of the City of St. Thomas . . . on behalf of the women and children of the City of St. Thomas who have died at the hands of their abusers.”
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Central Elgin and St. Thomas reach a settlement for boundary adjustment compensation, ‘now the heavy lifting begins’
It’s being referenced as a historic settlement.
An $80 million compensation package to the Municipality of Central Elgin for the hundreds of acres of land absorbed by St. Thomas for its new industrial park that is to be the home of the PowerCo EV battery plant.
The land was obtained by the city under provisions in Bill 63, St. Thomas – Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act, 2023.
The $80 million is made up of $15 million in monetary compensation and access to 7,700 cubic metres per day of wastewater treatment capacity at flow rates equal to City of St. Thomas rates.
This is projected to have a value of $75 to $85 million.
The question to ask is how will this impact water rates for Central Elgin residents?
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A sunny start to the regional transit pilot program serving St. Thomas
The sun was shining on Monday’s (April 8) launch of the new regional transit service linking St. Thomas with London and Dorchester.
But ironically, it was the brief blocking of the sun in the afternoon that resulted in a busier than anticipated first day of operation.
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston was aboard the early morning bus to Dorchester and remained aboard for the return trip which offered a pleasant surprise.
“It was quite surprising to find 20 people standing at the White Oaks Mall bus stop to come to St. Thomas.
“A number of people coming out here to see the eclipse today thought a $5 bus ride was the way to do it.”
