The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

in si d eh al to n .c o m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, M ay 1 0, 20 18 | £5 RCMP outsources experts to fight white-collar financial crime OPINION It's a good solution in today's ever-changing world, writes Peter Watson COMMUNITY Public school board seeks input on long-term accommodation plan In a time of cutbacks and priority shifting, the RCMP is getting creative with solving capital mar­ ket crimes, including stock market abuse. By its own admission, the RCMP acknowledged that in the past years re­ sources have been taken away from these white-col­ lar financial crimes to fo­ cus on other areas such as terrorism and drug-related offences. For Canadian capital markets to work efficiently there must be widespread trust in the system. Offend­ ers who commit stock mar­ ket fraud erode that trust. Each one of us makes our own investment deci- PETER WATSON Column sions in order to enjoy a de­ sired lifestyle, now and in­ to the future. We rightly ex­ pect that white-collar crim­ inals will be apprehended and punished. White-collar financial criminals are early adap­ tors of technology and they are smart. That gives them an edge. The skills needed to combat stock market abuse include an understanding of capital markets, data ex­ pertise and forensic ac­ counting. In our fast-passed changing world these skills need to be updated on a continual basis. It has been suggested that one out of nine capital market criminals have committed these crimes before. Many have carried out their crimes in one regula­ tory jurisdiction and then moved to another to com­ mit additional crimes. An intelligent strategy to fight white-collar crime is needed. To keep current and successfully combat finan­ cial crimes, the RCMP will partner with outside ex­ perts who can augment their policing expertise. There is a philosophic difference many Canadi­ ans hold on the role of gov­ ernment and government organizations. Some want the govern­ ment to be involved in all aspects of our lives while others are adamantly op­ posed to that and call for less government interfer­ ence. What is needed is the best solution to fight white- collar financial crime. The RCMP's decision to outsource additional, spe­ cific, expertise is a good so­ lution and appropriate in today's ever-changing world. - Peter Watson, o f Peter Watson Investments MBA, CFP, R.F.P, CIM, FCSI, offers a weekly financial planning column. He can be contacted through www.peter watsoninvest- ments.com. Parents and community members are invited to re­ view and provide feedback on the Halton District School Board's draft 2017- 2018 Long Term Accommo­ dation Plan. This plan addresses the existing and projected ac­ commodation needs of stu­ dents in elementary and secondary schools and identifies new capital pro­ ject initiatives, such as the need for new schools. The Long Term Accom­ modation Plan along with PowerPoint presentations outlining key points for Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville are available online at www.hdsb.ca. Search for "Long Term Accommoda­ tion Plan" to access the plan and presentations. Please provide input by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23 using: . The online feedback form, available at the above website; or, . By mail to: Planning Department, Halton Dis­ trict School Board, PO Box 5005 STN LCD 1, Burling­ ton, ON L7R 3Z2 Once the feedback is col­ lected, staff will report back to Halton school trustees at the June 6 board meeting. Don't be a LitterBug! P l e a s e k e e p o u r c o m m u n i t y c l e a n . The Festool North Am erican Roadshow is coming to town. Please join us for this exciting event. Festool's experienced staff w ill be there to answer questions and demo the ir innovative unmatched line of power tools. Food and refreshments w ill be provided. For details see staff or visit: leevalley.com /festoo lroadshow ---------------B U R L IN G T O N ---------------- Join us at our Burlington store location 3060 Davidson Court W e d n e sd a y , M ay 1 6 ,2 0 1 8 i 9:00 a .m . -1:00 p.m. http://www.peter http://www.hdsb.ca