Part 2 – Spring and Summer – in a raw and violent year

It was around 10:30 p.m., and the golden lights of Bombay Bhel were splashed across the hoods of cars lining the front of the popular restaurant. It was past the eatery’s 10 p.m. closing time, but the front door remained unlocked and about 40 patrons remained inside. Most were attending birthday parties, two of which were happily progressing when two hooded figures stepped through the front doorway. CCTV footage shows little of the faces beneath the hoods and black clothing. What’s evident is that one of the intruders is holding something. 

The explosion rocked the commercial plaza as the improvised explosive device, said to be filled with nails, exploded inside the restaurant, injuring more than a dozen people, three of them critically. Thankfully, all would fully recover. However, as police attempted to sort out the who and the why of the case in the following days, the flawed investigation revealed the incapacity of Peel police to solve crimes within one of their biggest demographics, the South Asian community. 

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When the public is clamouring for answers and crime is surging, what are police to do?

In Part 2 of this three-part series, The Pointer analyzes the violent summer of 2018 that saw shootings and violent crime in Mississauga and Brampton spike. 

At the time, elected officials were staring down the barrel of a municipal election in the fall, and with the public demanding answers, there was an urgent need to act. 

Published on September 30, 2019 in The Pointer - Brampton