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TinniTus soluTions wax reMoval on-siTe Hearing aid repair & Cleaning This year is on track to see the highest number of guns seized by officers during traffic stops in Durham Region, according to a recent report to the police services board. As of mid-October, officers had seized 15 guns during traffic stops in the region, Durham police Chief Todd Rollauer said during an Oct. 20 presentation to the board. That number matches the number of guns seized during stops in all of 2022, the highest on record in the region. "These incidents have increased in recent years," Rollauer said. In the past several, Durham police have reported multiple incidents during which traffic stops led to the seizure of loaded handguns, including: • An Ajax man was charged after a Sept. 30 incident in Oshawa, • On Sept. 8, an impaired driving investigation led to the seizure of a gun, • A loaded handgun was seized as three people were arrested on drug charges during an Oct. 1 incident in Whitby. The incidents are adding up to create "a very concerning trend," Durham police spokesperson Chris Bovie said. "It speaks to the dangers front-line officers face each day," Bovie said. "What we call routine traffic stops can very often be anything but routine." In a recent interview, Durham deputy Chief Dean Bertrim said gun possession and violence are ongoing concerns in the region. A high number of guns confirmed to be linked to crime here have come to Canada from the United States, where less stringent laws have resulted in a high number of firearms going into circulation, Bertrim said. "The majority of them are coming through the border," Bertrim said. DURHAM POLICE HAVE SEIZED 15 GUNS DURING TRAFFIC STOPS JEFF MITCHELL jmitchell@ durhamregion.com A gun was seized by Durham police officers during a recent traffic stop in Whitby, one of 15 such incidents in the region so far in 2022. Durham Regional Police photo NEWS A collaborative effort involving police in Durham Region and Toronto will help to more effectively track people on bail for firearms offences, enhancing officer and public safety, according to police. The new Firearm Bail Dashboard, announced on Oct. 25, will see the two services share information and help ensure that those on bail while awaiting trial for gun offences are complying with the terms of their release, police said. There are dozens of people residing in Durham Region who are currently on bail for offences alleged to have been committed here or in Toronto, Durham police Sgt. Joanne Bortoluss said on Tuesday. As of Oct. 25, "there are 206 offenders residing in Durham Region (who currently face charges related to) firearm offences," Bortoluss said, noting that 70 of those people face charges in Toronto. "This changes daily (as) some are sentenced (and) some (charges) are withdrawn," Bortoluss said. Compliance checks are important as they help to ensure accused people free on bail don't reoffend, but are a drain on front-line staff resources, Bortoluss noted. "There isn't a lot of free time for officers to do compliance checks," she said. "This free time is important, and the (Firearm Bail Dashboard) capitalizes on it by providing a visual display of who is in their area, and who needs to be checked." Toronto police said the resource not only helps officers ensure that terms of bail are being complied with, it can be an effective enforcement tool as well. "The capabilities of this application go well beyond bail compliance, and have directly assisted in the identification of several violent offenders," the service said in a statement. "They include an offender wanted in connection with an abduction in York Region; an offender wanted for a homicide in Toronto; and an offender wanted in connection with an armed carjacking, resulting in the recovery of a loaded firearm." Bortoluss said decisions about bail for people facing gun charges are made in the courts. "When we charge someone with a firearm offence, we work with the Crown, who makes a bail recommendation to the court based on a number of factors of the case, but ultimately that decision rests with the justice of the peace," she said. Toronto's firearm bail data currently tracks about 1,100 people on bail for gun offences, including the 70 accused in Durham; approximately 400 individuals charged with offences in Toronto live in jurisdictions outside the city. "The bail compliance checks also give officers the opportunity to provide bail offenders with referrals to programs, agencies and resources, including employment, housing and financial aid," Toronto police said. The Durham-Toronto collaboration is the beginning of an initiative that could soon see police services across the province sharing information, police said. JOINT POLICE EFFORT TRACKS ACCUSED IN FIREARMS CASES JEFF MITCHELL jmitchell@ durhamregion.com