14-Year-Old Teen Missing; Peterborough Police Seeking Public's Help In Locating Him

UPDATE: He has been found safe.

The Peterborough Police Service has declared 14-year-old Preston Howard missing since Monday morning and is asking for the public’s assistance in locating him.

He was last seen in the area of Bensfort Road and Collison Avenue in the early morning hours on Monday.

Howard is described as:

• 14 years of age

• Caucasian male

• Thin build

• Medium-length brown hair

• Scratches on his face

• Wearing a black puffy Columbia coat and black and white high-top shoes

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

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Peterborough Police Service Partners With Équité Association to Combat Auto Theft

The Peterborough Police Service is collaborating with Équité Association to combat and prevent auto thefts in the Peterborough area through Project CLASP.

(left to right) Bryan Gast, VP, Investigative Services, Équité; Chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough Police Service and Betty Ng, Équité. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service.

Équité will aid the police through data and analytics, vehicle identification and coordinated investigations.

To mitigate the risk, Équité recommends a layered approach that includes simple steps like locking doors, installing visible or audible anti-theft devices, using vehicle immobilizers and investing in tracking systems.

“Auto theft has reached crisis levels in this country. Last year, auto theft in Canada cost more than $1.2 billion dollars,” said Bryan Gast, Équité vice president. “This problem cannot be remedied in isolation; it requires this kind of collaborative approach through public and private partnerships to ultimately combat this crime.”

“The Peterborough area is not immune to this type of crime,” said Chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough Police Service. “In 2023, there were 143 vehicles reported stolen.  We are also aware of the trends in other communities and this partnership will help make sure we can spread messages of prevention about auto theft to our own residents.”

Anonymous information can be sent to Peterborough Northumberland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online and tipsters may be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward.

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Combustibles Close to Heater Cause Evening Garage Fire On Ravenwood Drive

A light smoke and a fire broke out in a Ravenwood Drive garage on Thursday evening.

Photo by Keegan Beekers.

There were 17 Peterborough Fire Services firefighters who arrived on the scene.

The first responders noticed the smoke from an attached garage and quickly extinguished a couch that was on fire without incident.

There were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire was due to be a heater too close to combustibles.

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Peterborough Fire Services Conduct Ice Rescue Training; Warns Public that 'No Ice Is Completely Safe'

Peterborough Fighter Service firefighters endured the frigid waters during ice rescue training at the stormwater pond on Sherbrooke Street on Friday morning.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Fire Services.

The pond was somewhat frozen due to the warmer weather Peterborough has had in the past week.

According to the Peterborough Fire Service's X account, the message is that there is no completely safe ice and to stay off it.

“You cannot tell the strength of ice by its appearance. Temperature, thickness, snow cover, water depth and size are all factors affecting ice safety.”

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Four Peterborough Officers Recognized From August Gunpoint Standoff At Car Dealership

Four Peterborough Police Service officers were recognized at a Police Services Board meeting on Tuesday night concerning an incident at a car dealership in August 2023.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Police Service.

PC Mitchell Northey, PC Josh Gibbs, PC Nick Gannon and Sergeant Mike Self were recognized for their bravery and commitment to public safety in the situation. It involved an armed standoff with the suspect who held an employee at the business at gunpoint according to the police report.

The officers also administered first aid to the suspect after he drank a substance and collapsed. The man was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre but died. No one else was injured in the incident.

“If it were not for the brave actions of the officers involved placing their own lives in direct danger to save the lives of others, it is possible that this incident could have ended more tragic. The actions of these officers were heroic and that is why the awards committee and the Chief recommended that they all be recognized with a Board commendation,” according to a statement in a press release.

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Two-Vehicle Collision At Lansdowne Street and Ashburnham Road; Injuries Unknown

A two-vehicle collision occurred at the intersection of Lansdowne Street and Ashburnham Road late Monday morning.

All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Peterborough Police Service, Peterborough Fire Services, ambulances and tow trucks were present at the accident. The intersection was not closed at the time of the accident and traffic movement was slow during cleanup.

It is unknown if there are any injuries and if anyone was sent to local hospitals for medical care.

The accident occurred between a Mercury and a Ford Bronco. The former sustained significant damage to its passenger side while the latter sustained minor front bumper damage. Tow trucks took both vehicles away.

All first responders have vacated the area early in the noon hour with traffic moving normally.

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St. John Paul Elementary II School Reopened After Suspicious Object Discovered; No Threat to Public, Kawartha Lakes Police Say

Students and staff of St. John Paul II Elementary School can breathe a sigh of relief as their school reopened after a faculty member discovered a report of a suspicious object on Monday morning.

Photo courtesy of St. John Paul’s Catholic Elementary SChool.

The object was discovered at roughly 8:30 a.m. at the Lindsay school.

Kawartha Lakes Police were contacted and had the school evacuated for safety precautions.

After a thorough search of the school and grounds, the police concluded that the object did not threaten the public.

Police say there is absolutely no threat to public safety. Therefore, the scene has been released and the school has been re-opened.

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Peterborough Police to Adapt Verified Alarm Response Program

The Peterborough Police Service has introduced a Verified Alarm Response Program (VARP) where Alarm Monitoring Services will be required to verify any alarm signal they receive before notifying police beginning on March 1. 

Photo courtesy of the PEterborough Police Service.

“The Peterborough Police Service is adopting VARP to improve service delivery to residents and business owners and to decrease the time spent responding to false alarms,” says Peter Sejrup, Inspector, Support Services, Peterborough Police Service. “Annually, the Peterborough Police Service responds to approximately 1,000 calls for service regarding alarms with a 5-year average false rate of approximately 94 per cent. This represents a significant amount of resources dedicated to incidents where police are not required.”

To dispatch police to a property-related alarm, alarm monitoring services will have to verify that a criminal offence has occurred or is occurring using at least one of the following verification criteria:

• Audio Signal (confirm criminal activity through sound detected on the premises)

• Video Signal (confirm criminal activity through visual images)

• On-Scene Witnesses (who can confirm suspected criminal activity from the scene)

• Multiple Alarm Activation Points (at least two sensors in a manner or sequence that indicates suspected criminal activity)

The Peterborough Police Service will continue to provide immediate response to panic/hold-up/duress alarms when there is reason to believe that a crime is in progress or an emergency exists.  Verification of those types of alarms is not required as the community's safety is paramount.

Learn more about the Verified Alarm Response Program: https://www.peterboroughpolice.com/en/learn/verified-alarm-response-program-v-a-r-p.aspx

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Peterborough Police Partner With Wounded Warriors Canada to Provide Additional Mental Health Support to Officers and Their Families

In an effort to provide additional mental health services to first responders, the Peterborough Police Service and Wounded Warriors Canada have announced a partnership on Monday afternoon.

Wounded Warriors Canada is a nationally recognized organization and mental health service provider dedicated to serving ill and injured trauma exposed professionals and their families. The group is currently working with over 100 police services across the country. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The partnership will aid Peterborough Police Service members and their families. 

The Peterborough Police Service Peer Support Team has been actively seeking partnerships with external agencies to benefit all Service members. Wounded Warriors Canada has been chosen as its first priority partnership according to a press release.

“I was part of organizations both at York Regional Police and London Police Service where we partnered with Wounded Warriors so when this came to my attention here in Peterborough, it was a natural that I would support this here as well for the benefit of our members,” said Chief Stuart Betts of the Peterborough Police Service.

Peterborough Police officers often encounter traumatic experiences which is something the public may or may not be aware of, explained Betts.

“Most people are going to see one or two really terrible things that happen in their lives,” he said. “Our police officers can see one, two, three or five in a single 12-hour shift and there's an accumulative effect that goes along with that. Some of our folks are responding to things where people do the most horrible, imaginable things to other individuals out there.”

“That's what the police are affront to and exposed to,” said Scott Maxwell, Wounded Warriors executive director. “What they could see in a shift could be more trauma than an individual maybe hopefully in their lives. But the reality of that requires very tailored, culturally-specific, occupationally aware, training and counselling assistance to make sure that we are getting in front of this reality.”

Anyone from the Police Service can confidentially apply for Wounded Warriors’s services.

Some available programs include:

• Trauma Resiliency Program

• Spousal Resiliency Program

• Couples Overcoming PTSD Everyday

• Couples Resiliency Program

• Warrior Kids Camp & Virtual Program

• Surviving Family Program

• PTSD Service Dogs

• Operations Stress Intervention Dog

“We specialize in residential facilitated group counselling programs for individual members, couples counselling, supports for spouses, surviving families (line of duty death and deaths by suicide) and support for kids aged 8-16 years old,” said Maxwell.

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Police and Fire Services Seeking Public For Information of Margaret Avenue Fire

The Peterborough Police and Peterborough Fire Services are asking anyone with information to come forward about a fire on Margaret Avenue on Saturday morning.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 12:20 a.m., the fire was spotted and called in. The home had just been sold and was empty at the time.

Seventeen firefighters responded to the call and heavy smoke billowed from the house upon arrival. After a search, fire crews did not find anyone in the fire and police believe no one was injured. The fire was extinguished without incident.

The Ontario Fire Marshal has since determined the circumstances to be suspicious and the Peterborough Police Service is investigating.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detective Constable Mark Jilesen with Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x285 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

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