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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 5, 20 19 | 4 Is violence on the rise in Halton? The question is definite- ly on the minds of many residents after the region, long touted as the safest re- gional municipality in Canada, experienced three homicides in less than a week. On Aug. 21, Burlington resident and 911 dispatcher Laura Grant, 57, was fatal- ly shot in her home. Her husband, Kenneth Soederhuysen, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death. On Aug. 25, Oakville resident and retired fire- fighter Robert Smith, 74, was stabbed to death at an apartment complex. His son Brett Smith has been charged with second- degree murder in connec- tion with this killing. On Aug. 24, Edmund Ferrari, 91, was found dead outside his retirement home in downtown Oak- ville. Halton police have con- firmed his death was a ho- micide but are not re- leasing the cause of death. As of Aug. 30, no arrest had been made in connec- tion with his murder. Non-fatal stabbings, a shooting, and other violent incidents have also domi- nated recent local head- lines, resulting in many residents taking to social media to voice their con- cerns. "So much for being the number one place to live in Canada," said one Face- book commenter. "Oakville is losing its quiet, peaceful, safe little town status," said another. "What is going on late- ly," asked another individ- ual. When reached for com- ment, Halton police Chief Stephen Tanner said he gets that recent events have left some members of the public shaken. "We understand that when people hear about vi- olent crimes such as these, they are concerned and have questions about the safety of their community. We have had three homi- cides in a very short period of time. In two of these in- stances, the victim and ac- cused were known to each other. We hope the families and friends of Laura Grant and Robert Smith know that the residents of Halton grieve with them, and we hope they find the strength to begin to heal," said Tan- ner. "We continue to apply all available resources to investigate the circum- stances that led to the death of 91-year-old Ed- mund Ferrari. It is unimag- inable that, after nine de- cades, this was the end to Mr. Ferrari's life. We ex- tend our sincerest condo- lences to his family and friends, and we are com- mitted to bringing the per- petrator(s) of this cowardly crime to justice." Homicides are not un- heard of in Halton. Accord- ing to Halton police, the re- gion experienced one ho- micide in 2013, one in 2014, two in 2015, one in 2016, three in 2017, and two in 2018. It is worth noting that in all but one of these homi- cides an arrest was made, or the case was cleared in some other way (e.g. through the death of the person believed responsi- ble). It is also worth pointing NEWS IS VIOLENT CRIME ON THE INCREASE IN HALTON? THE QUESTION: IS VIOLENT CRIME ON THE RISE IN HALTON? THE CONCLUSION: ACCORDING TO A REPORT PRESENTED TO THE HALTON POLICE BOARD IN 2018 THE VIOLENT CRIME RATE IN HALTON ROSE 7.3 PER CENT DESPITE HALTON'S OVERALL CRIME RATE DROPPING 1.7 PER CENT. DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com Halton police attend the scene in Downtown Oakville where 91-year-old Edmund Ferrari was found dead. His death has since been ruled a homicide. Graham Paine/Torstar See SUSPECTS, page 8 AfterBefore Most projects completed within 1-2 days! • Fully Insured • Affordable & Timely www.TheKitchenRefacer.com FREE Estimate call 647 229 6318 Cabinet Refacing *Additions *New Kitchens *9.9/10 Average rating *View our online testimonials on Homestars! The easy way to update your Kitchen! W in n e r! 3 ye ar s in a ro w The Kitchen Refacer OveR 10 yeaRs Of KiTchen RenOvaTiOns inhalTOn hills September Special Offer 20% Off &surrounding areas! *Limited time offer FREE 14 Day Trial WANTED PEOPLEWITHHEARING LOSS WhoWant to Try a Revolutionary Hearing Device.1 Hear the difference hearing aids can make. Try the latest advanced or premium digital hearing aids for 14 days.* Book your FREE hearing test and hearing aid trial - offer ends September 30th 2019. * Trial valid until September 30th, 2019 and is subject to changewithout notice. No-cost hearing tests are provided to adults ages 19 and older. A feewill apply for a copy of your audiogram. Child hearing tests are conducted at select locations for a fee, please contact us for more information. Offer not valid in Quebec. [1] https://www.oticon.ca/hearing- aid-users/hearing-aids/products/opn-s Promo Code NSP-TBYB-GIFP Call or book online: HearingLife.ca/FreeTrial Acton 31 Mill Street East | Call Kim at 1-855-803-9818 Georgetown 324 Guelph Street | Call Fanny at 1-855-803-9953