LOWER SACKVILLE: Despite an April 8 shooting, gun violence in the Lower Sackville area remains down, an RCMP spokesperson said.
In a recently released HRM Partners in Policing report, police detailed the first quarter crime statistics for 2010. It showed that overall crime increased by three per cent compared to 2009, but not across the board.
“Violent crime, which includes shootings, is down nearly seven per cent, including decreases in attempted homicides and assaults, and an increase in robberies,” the report stated.
Cpl. Joe Taplin, public affairs officer with Halifax District RCMP, said between mid-March and mid-April there were 12 shooting incidents in the Halifax Regional Municipality, however none occurred in the Lower Sackville region.
“We’ve had a fair amount of shootings in Halifax, Dartmouth and North Preston in March and April,” Cpl. Taplin said.
The shooting in question saw a gunman clad in a bandana walk into the Catch A Look clothing and barbershop and fire three shots.
Six customers and an unknown amount of staff, including the targeted victim, were inside the store when the shots were fired. Nobody was hurt. The suspect then fled the scene in a red car.
The RCMP charged a 29-year-old man with attempted murder following the incident. Joseph Endelle Chan was arrested April 15 by Halifax Regional Police (HRP) after a brief struggle along Gottingen Street in Halifax. A hand gun was seized by police.
Upon further testing, the gun was tied to the shooting at the Sackville Drive business.
Chan is to appear in Halifax Provincial Court on May 31. He’s been in police custody at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth since being arrested. Chan faces 11 other weapons-related offences resulting form the shooting.
He said the RCMP has no immediate plans for future gun amnesty programs. Recently a joint partnership between Nova Scotia RCMP and municipal police forces brought in 564 guns, five cross bows and 19,613 rounds of ammunition.
In Nov. 2009, HRP collected 1,074 long guns and handguns, including sawed-off shotguns, during its own month-long amnesty. In the Pixels for Pistols program, residents traded in a working gun for a digital camera. Police also collected more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
At a May 10 press conference, police announced they had made 19 arrests, including eight on May 7 during Operation Impinge, launched in response to the escalating gun violence in HRM.
Cpl. Taplin said he didn’t have any national gun shooting numbers. He advised police are diligently working towards cutting down the amount of gun violence in HRM.
“We have stepped up extensive patrols and continue to gather intelligence related to shootings in the HRM,” he said.
He explained the police force fight against crime in HRM will remain status quo when it comes to their crime reduction strategy, addressing the increase in property-related occurrences.
“We’ll continue to focus on hot spots policing, deploy our quick response and street crime units to target the criminal element, monitor those who are on court-imposed conditions, and put officers in close contact with the community to address crime as well as quality-of-life issues,” Cpl. Taplin said.
However, it’s not just gun crime that is keeping police busy. A recent spat of thefts from N.S. Power compound sites in Lakeside, Westphal and Lower Sackville have police investigating.
The first theft occurred May 3, with additional thefts from sites in Lower Sackville occurring May 6 and 17.
The incidents took place May 17 in Lakeside and May 6 and 17 in Westphal, Cpl. Taplin said.
“The thefts are occurring overnight and the suspect(s) cut the fence and enter into the
secure compound,” he explained. “They have stolen chainsaws, one gas power drill, one tool chest with tools and hundreds of pounds of copper wire. They would have had a
vehicle waiting outside the fence as a getaway.”
The HRM Partners in Policing report indicated that thefts like these are to be expected.
“Property crimes have seen a rise of 12 per cent with increases in thefts and break and enters, while there are decreases in thefts of motor vehicle and frauds,” the report detailed.
Cpl. Taplin said if anyone has information regarding these reports of theft, they can contact any RCMP office, Halifax Regional Police, or Crime Stoppers anonymously
anytime at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by their Secure Web Tips at
www.crimestoppers.ns.ca.
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com