MikeCohen.ca

Côte Saint-Luc and Police on the lookout for graffiti perpetrators

Just who are the graffiti artists who have been defacing public and private property in Côte Saint-Luc recently?  I can tell you that local Police Station 9, our Public Security Department and the Volunteer Citizens on Patrol (VCOPS) are on high alert.

One particular town house condominium project in District 2, where I serve as councillor, has had enough of this nonsense. On a number of occasions vandals have spray painted  graffiti all over their premises. The residents have had enough and I do not blame them.

When I offered to come meet with them to discuss the issue, I called Station 9 Commander Sylvain Bissonnette. We are extremely fortunate to have a man like Sylvain as our local police chief. It is such a pleasure to deal with a gentleman who cares so deeply for our community. Whenever I have called him with a matter affecting my district, he has responded immediately. Such was the case here as he assigned Sgt. Julie Lavigne and constables Tomislav Curkovic and Simon Deslauriers to join us.  Councillor Glenn J. Nashen, who is responsible for the public safety portfolio in the city, came by on his bicyle and provided some excellent tips to the residents of how to become less of a target. Councillor Nashen noted that our city already adopted this bylaw dealing with graffiti on July 13, 2009. If you look closely at the picture above, you will even see some graffiti on the sign above our group.

The good news is that the police are keeping a very close eye on this particular property. I very much hope they will catch the perpetrators in the act.

Sgt. Lavigne toured the entire property with the condominium administrator and provided some excellent advice. The residents very much comforted by the police presence. I wish to thank Commander Bissonnette and his team.

Ilan Ramon home significantly damaged in fire

A fire broke out at a home on Ilan Ramon Crescent in Côte Saint-Luc’s District 2  in the early evening of January 11.  No one was hurt and the fire department arrived in time to ensure that the fire was contained and then extinguished.  Neighbours applauded the efforts and professionalism of the Montreal firefighters who arrived within four minutes of the call to 911.

The cause was reportedly a heating pad left on in  the master bedroom, which shorted,  created a spark and caused the mattress to catch fire. Due to the intense heat of the fire, the sprinkler system was triggered  and released more than enough water to keep the fire at bay. That is the good  news. The water damage has devastated the property and fears are that the majority of the home will need to be gutted and redone.  Most of  the family’s possessions have been damaged by the fire or the water.  

What has most impressed me is how all of the neighbours have banded together to assist this family, which may be homeless for some time. The lady of the house, for instance, works during the day and has asked if anyone can find a place for her mother to stay at that time. A number of offers have already come forward.

As one neighbor explained, this should serve as a reminder of the importance of regularly checking smoke detectors and update any fire extinguishers  in the home.  Talk to your family about the danger of fire and what to do if one occurs.  

 

Propane tank thefts in CSL

It is the heart of the barbeque season, so what could be more distressing than having all of your hotdogs and hamburgers ready for the grill, only to find out that your propane tank has been stolen. That has been what is occurring in certain parts of Côte Saint-Luc District 2 in recent days.

Based on discussions with the victims, it appears that the perpetrators have struck as the skies drew dark. I have advised Police Station 9 and our Public Security to look out for any vehicles packing propane tanks in their trunk or the rear of a van.

 .

In the meantime I recommend that barbeque owners buy a chain and a lock and make the propane tank impossible for these thieves to grab.

Where is this propane tank black market? I hope the police can find out.

Meeting on Safety and Security Open to All CSL Citizens

 

I will be expanding the format of my regular District 2 meetings on Wednesday, November 19 (7 p.m.) when I collaborate with District 6 City Councillor Glenn J. Nashen for a special meeting on safety and security in the community at City Hall (5801 Cavendish Boulevard, Second Floor). This meeting is open to the community at large.

I am proud to say that I pioneered the District meeting concept, which gives citizens the opportunities to be updated on specific issues of concern and to ask a lot of questions. At my last meeting in June residents had a lot of questions about safety and security. Councillor Nashen, who was first elected in 1990, is responsible for the public safety dossier. He is also a longstanding member of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and is responsible for the introduction of the Citizens on Patrol (COP).

While I will co-chair the meeting with Councillor Nashen, special guest speakers will include Mayor Anthony Housefather, Police Station 9 Sergeant France Denault, Côte Saint-Luc Chief of Public Security Michel Martel and representatives from EMS and COPs. Among the issues to be discussed will be safety in the parks, traffic infractions, speeding cars and bylaws not being adhered to Citizens should feel free to bring up anything on their minds. While this started off as a response to my constituents who wanted a forum on theses issues, I felt this was a unique chance to let all of our citizens take advantage of it.

"

We have exceptional services in our community vis-à-vis public safety," adds Councillor Nashen. "On this occasion we will have the major players in the same rooms. It is an excellent opportunity."

For more information you can call 514-485-6945 or email MCohen@CoteSaintLuc.org or GJNashen@CoteSaintLuc.org.

.

Police and Public Security Chiefs Confirmed for Nov. 19 District Meeting

I am pleased to announce that my next District meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 19 (7 p.m.) at City Hall. The focus will be on public safety, with very special guests Commander Sylvain Bissonnette from Police Station 9 and Côte Saint-Luc Public Security Chief Michel Martel. Please mark down this date. For constituents of District 2, this will be an excellent opportunity to ask questions and get to know the two men who maintain law and order in our community.

Police crack down on motorists

A big thank you to the traffic division of Police Station 9 for beginning surveillance of motorists at the corner of Kildare and Merrimac, coming from Marc Chagall. For some time now, cars have been bolting right through the stop sign. Today the police posted a car in the area and ticketed a number of cars for not abiding by the law. There are a lot of young families in this area, not to mention close to 1,000 students at Bialik High School. God forbid we have a tragic accident. I am sorry it has come to this, but sometimes only the cost of a ticket gets motorists to think more clearly.

Pickpockets at the Shopping Centre

I recently received this call for help from the daughter of a Côte Saint-Luc senior citizen, who had her wallet stolen at the IGA supermarket at the Côte Saint-Luc Shopping Centre. Two heavy-set women, as she described them, bumped into her, and when she came to pay for her groceries, her wallet was gone and her purse was zipped closed. his was a very disturbing and frightening experience for this lady, whose daughter tells me that unfortunately this was not the first time that shoppers had their wallets stolen from this store. She also points to Dollarama, Reitmans, and Jean Coutu as danger spots. Sadly, seniors are most often the target of these crafty thieves. “The manager of IGA phoned the police andsaid he would check the store cameras if anything was caught on tape,” the daughter told me. “The cashiers said ‘not again!’ when they became aware of the stolen wallet. Luckily for my mother she didn't keep her credit card and bank card in her wallet. Her licence and medicare cards were taken, as well as cash. I'm happy that she wasn't hurt in the incident.”

Well, I contacted Montreal Police Station 9 Commander Sylvain Bissonnette, he said he was aware of the problem. He has even assigned plain clothed police officers to survey the situation. In some cases they looked for elderly people leaving their bags unattended, lifted the wallet and then returned it to the person with instructions of what “not to do.” The commander warned against carrying a purse “with half of your life in it,” noting that a small wallet in your pocket could do. “Of course, the large one that holds 36 credit cards and the family photo album is a problem if you have small pockets,” he says. “The question is, do people have to carry all that stuff? Criminals always target what's easy because they are lazy. For us prevention is the most efficient way of getting thiefs out of business.”