Don Mills is a Toronto neighbourhood located in the North York area of the city. Don Mills was Canada’s first planned community. The boundaries of Don Mills are York Mills Road in the north, Eglinton Avenue in the south, the Don Valley Parkway in the east and Leslie Street in the west. In the area from York Mills Road south to Lawrence Avenue, from Leslie to the Don River, there are 1.65 crimes against people per 1000 people living and working in the area. There are 7.27 property crimes in that area. East of the Don River to the Don Valley Parkway, still between York Mills Road and Lawrence, there are 6.88 crimes against people per 1000 and 14.61 crimes against property. South of Lawrence Avenue to Eglinton Avenue between Leslie Street and Don Mills Road, there are 1.37 crimes against people per 1000 and 6.88 crimes against property. From Don Mills Road east to the Don Valley Parkway, between Lawrence Avenue and Eglinton Avenue, there is an average of 2.68 crimes against people and 14.41 crimes against property. Like all neighbourhoods, Don Mills unfortunately does have crime. In June of 2009 a man was shot in the neighbourhood during a robbery. From the Toronto Star:
Toronto police have arrested one suspect and are looking for another after a man was shot Tuesday near Eglinton Ave. E and Don Mills Rd. Police received a call for a robbery and shooting on St. Dennis Dr. There, they found a man suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. On Friday morning, police arrested one man in connection to the case, and released a description of another suspect.
Later that summer, in August 2009, another man was beaten during another robbery. From MyTownCrier.ca:
A man received minor injuries after he was whipped and robbed during an early morning swarming near Don Mills Rd. on July 28. At about 3 a.m. five men exited a vehicle and approached the man, police say. One of the men grabbed him, demanding cash. A second man then produced a cable and began to whip the victim numerous times.
More recently, in August 2011, a woman was sexually assaulted while asking for directions near Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue. From Global Toronto:
A woman not familiar with the area was asking for directions and police say a man offered to help her. It is alleged the man took the woman on a short cut through an apartment building and once inside, sexually assaulted her.
These crimes show that no matter how safe a neighbourhood appears, you always need to be aware of what is going on around you and be alert in regards to your surroundings. In general, having security cameras installed at homes and businesses can go a long way to preventing crime. When police have access to surveillance footage it becomes possible for them to correctly identify suspects and determine exactly what happened in any given criminal investigation. Security camera footage is also important evidence in criminal cases and can lead to prosecuting criminals. For more information on how security cameras can protect your neighbourhood, please visit the security cameras section of our website or talk to a loss prevention expert by contacting us.