At Home in Hespeler

Six years ago wrote this post in response to some dumb law some dumb politician was on about. Making it harder to buy toy guns, or some such stupidity, as I recall.

This weeks stupidity by the Waterloo Region District School Board, Family and Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region and Waterloo Regional Police (especially the police), gave me a mind to repost it. It seems somehow appropriate.

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Hespeler – Authorities today discovered a cache of illegal toys in the room of a local 8 year old boy. Among the toys discovered where a Chinese manufactured pump action water blaster 1000, a spider man web blaster and a Chinese made cap gun that authorities fear may have been purchased over the counter a dollar store. “The Water Blaster alone can deliver 1/2 a liter of water non-stop” said an adult at the scene “There were handcuffs too, and not the cheap plastic ones either, metal ones.” Authorities also discovered a lone ranger mask, a tire iron for bicycles, 3 hockey pucks “of the kind that is sometimes used in ‘chuck-a-puck’ competitions”, and an H2O Ammo water clip. Not shown in the picture was a Hurl, once used in an assault on a sister and a pointy stick, causing local mothers to fear that someone could lose an eye.

The 8 year old will be sent to his room to wait ’til his father gets home. Further grounding is expected, with crown prosecutors wanting two weeks without TV, while child care experts say time served waiting for Dad is sufficient punishment.

seized weapons are being tested to see if they are related to any unsolved soakings or frightenings of twitchy neighbours with loud ‘bangy’ noises.

Here is a complete inventory of the confiscated booty:

Elastic Gun
Chinese manufactured Shield Blaster 1000 water soaker.
Chinese manufactured Pump Action Water Gun
H2O AMMO Water Clip
Hot Wheels Jet Launcher, with Jet
Spider man Web Blaster with holder
Finger pointed in the classic gun position
Bicycle Tire Iron
3 “Chuck-a-Puck” style Hockey Pucks
Plastic Bullets
Plastic Holster
2 Used Elastic Bands
Irish Manufactured Hurl
24? Pointy Stick

Also found were:

Wild Planet Spy Listener with attached ear phone
Infra-pink Spy glasses/ Walkie Talkie
Lone Ranger style mask
Handcuffs and Coin Rollers and a couple of dollars in coins.

I think that covers how I feel about this.

crime and justice, Jacobian Piece of Impertinence, pimply minions of bureaucracy Family CHildren Services, Hespeler, Police, Toy Gun, Waterloo Region

Is not about putting pot-smoking teenagers in prison…

They planned in advance to sexually assault and kill Miss Proctor. They chose her because they thought she was an easy target, not necessarily because either of them had ill will toward her.

… it’s about making sure a “sexual sadist” who is “aroused by the physical and psychological suffering of others,” and is a “high risk to re-offend violently and sexually for up to 40 years,” with “little chance they can be rehabilitated,” get more than 10 years.

crime and justice Cameron Moffat, Kimberly Proctor, Kruse Wellwood, Tough on Crime

The Province is appointing a crown attorney to proceed with criminal charges against the provinces top police officer:

The Ontario government is going ahead with plans to appoint one of its own Crown attorneys to prosecute Julian Fantino…

A provincial Crown will first address the matter in court on Friday morning.

Even though OPP commisioner Julian Fantino will answer for to a criminal charge, one lonely blogger calls for his resignation.

crime and justice, Dalton, In Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario… julian fantino, OPP

Melissa Todorovic

Melissa Todorovic (above) was fifteen when she “engaged in an unrelenting campaign over many months to cause the death of a 14-year-old girl [Stefanie Rengel, below] that she had never met,” on New Year’s Day 2008 according to Justice Ian Nordheimer.

Stefanie Rengel

Today, Justice Nordheimer sentenced Todorovic to life with no chance of parole for seven years (my emphasis). Killer Todorovic will likely be released before her 25th birthday in 2016. Stefanie Rengel will, for the record, continue to be dead and gone in 2016.

crime and justice Justice Ian Nordheimer, Melissa Todorovic, Stepahnie Rengel

Maybe it’s two isolated cases, but when was the last time two stories in a week featured get tough judgements?

“This was a particularly heinous crime. It has shocked the conscience of right-thinking people across the country,” a solemn Ontario Superior Court Justice David McCombs ruled yesterday in denying her bail.

“I have concluded that this is one of those rare cases where detention is justified … in order to maintain confidence in the administration of justice.”

Don’t judges usually say “this was a particularly heinous crime…” just before they respond as if it isn’t? Perhaps if she been caught with a gun when they arrested her, bail would have been easier to give:

“The main principle is general deterrence,” said Justice Alexander Sosna. “These offences have been and continue to be a serious problem in our community.”…

“As unfortunate as these circumstances may be, they do not determine the ultimate sentence,” said Judge Sosna. “It is my responsibility to impose a sentence on an exemplary citizen who has committed a serious crime.”

Deterrence? Responsibility to impose sentence? What about your responsibility to the criminal?

Just two cases, but perhaps it’s the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps we are seeing the start of tougher justice from judges who are getting the message – Canadians want crime to pay.

crime and justice