LPD Blue: News from the Laval Police beat

Drivers avoided Curé-Labelle, A-440 Sept. 17 after serious accident

The Laval Police issued an advisory to motorists on a recent Thursday afternoon to avoid Curé-Labelle Blvd. between Saint-Elzéar Blvd. and Simone-de-Beauvoir St., as well as Autoroute 440 in that area, because of a serious motor vehicle accident that created a massive traffic jam.

According to reports by the Laval Police Department, the scene of the accident was on Curé-Labelle Blvd. near Fabreville. As traffic continued to back up and social media accounts went into a frenzy over the situation, Curé-Labelle remained closed to traffic between Simone-de-Beauvoir and Saint-Elzéar into the evening on that day.

Gunshots in Chomedey and St-François kept Laval Police busy

The Laval Police were kept busy on Saturday night Sept. 12 by reports that came in an hour apart from two different areas of the city where the sound of gunshots was heard by some residents.

Just before 6 pm on Sept. 12, the LPD answered a call from 77th Ave. in Chomedey where they were met by a witness who was close at hand when several shots were fired nearby, although there were no injuries.

Nonetheless, the police officers found a few spent bullets on the ground and an investigation was opened into the circumstances which led up to the incident.

A little more than an hour later, the LPD received a second call about gunshots, although this time it was from the other end of the island.

Upon arrival at the scene on Roxane St. in the district of Saint-François, officers came upon a man in his late 20s who was suffering from a serious and potentially life-threatening gunshot wound.

At last word, the LPD was treating this incident as an attempted murder. A command post was set up for a few days near the crime scene to facilitate a thorough investigation.

Laval Police identify suspect in alleged cell phone thefts

A suspect sought for about a week by the Laval Police Department for alleged fraud after three smartphones were picked up at a Laval Purolator courier branch by someone who hadn’t paid was finally identified.

According to the LPD, the victim of the alleged scam ordered the phones from a cellphone company in November last year. A month later, he called the company to report that the phones had never been delivered.

However, when the cell phone company investigated, they discovered that someone had picked them up at a Purolator branch located on Dagenais Blvd. West near Laval’s Champfleury area.

Upon further investigation, Purolator found that the individual who picked up the smartphones had presented a printed delivery notice, although there is no mention of whether he was asked to show a piece of identification.

The suspect, seen in a widely circulated photo taken by a surveillance camera at Purolator, was described as being in his 20s, with black hair, eyeglasses and wearing a black coat.

Public Security Minister happy with police op for COVID-19

Quebec Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault, who is Minister of Public Security, expressed satisfaction last Monday with a province-wide police operation designed to help counter a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus. In all, 30 police forces took part.

During the operation, more than 2,200 commercial establishments were visited across Quebec and 90 tickets were issued to individuals not wearing face masks, not respecting self-distancing rules, consuming alcohol in bars after legal hours, hosting more than 10 persons at a time, or failing to keep a register of customers.

As well, three notices were sent to the Quebec Director of Public Health’s office regarding establishments whose activities were regarded as being a risk to public health.

Also, five notices to appear were issued regarding hearings to be held in the near future by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux over establishments that broke the rules and now face the possiblity of losing their license.

“I want to thank all the police officers for their great professionalism,” Guilbault said in a statement issued by the provincial government last Monday. “They did incredible work all weekend long, thanks to which the ambitious goal of visiting more than 1,000 establishments were largely surpassed.

A well-planned operation

“The operations took place in conformity with the planned goals and the visits were well received by those carrying them out as much as by the clients who, in the vast majority, were respecting the rules,” added Guilbault.

The purpose of the operation, according to the provincial government, was to identify the places where there could be problems having rules for safeguarding against COVID-19 respected. During the operation, more than 1,000 establishments holding liquor permits, consisting mostly of bars, restaurants and receptions halls, were visited.

All regions in Quebec were visited, with special attention being paid to areas where Yellow or Orange codes for COVID-19 were recently invoked by the provincial government.

Public health officials have now been notified by the police regarding establishments where additional sanitary measures were found to be necessary.

It is notable, according to the provincial government, that of the more than 1,000 bars, restaurants and other gathering places visited, only one refused to allow the police in. Charges are currently pending against that business.