Warnings About Violent Muggings In Peel
Posted August 8, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A shocking increase in the number of gunpoint robberies, mainly by teenage offenders, has made taking a pleasant walk in the park a harrowing experience for victims of young rampaging thugs.
Police say sprawling green spaces are a hotspot for muggers in Peel region, with the number of gunpoint robberies nearly doubling since last year.
“There’s definitely places where they can’t be seen as well, which provides the criminal a much better opportunity to mug or rob people,” reveals Const. Adam Minnion.
The brazen thieves are swiping things like iPods, cash and pretty much anything else they can get their hands on. But police say the motive isn’t always about the loot.
“Upon occasion they may want to use intimidation, power, as a technique,” Minnion adds.
Police say the incidents also happen at busy bus loops and malls. The suspects are usually as young as 15-years-old, but they target people of all ages.
Peel Police have stepped up undercover patrols, hoping to give residents a renewed sense of security.
“(We’ll) have a greater officer presence in the parks in the greenbelt areas to help deter people who make poor decisions and involve in that type of criminal activity,” Minnion said.
