'The stakes could not be higher': London police continue to tackle gun and drug crimes

The London Police Service (LPS) gave updates on a pair of recent shooting investigations, pointing to ongoing concerns about the link between guns, drugs, and violent crimes.

On Wednesday morning, police laid out guns and drugs at LPS headquarters, all seized since July.

Chief Thai Truong emphasized the threats posed to police and the public, "The stakes could not be higher. Over the past five years, annually, 120 lives are lost in our city due to drug toxicity. Shockingly, more than 80 per cent of opioid-related deaths are directly linked to fentanyl."

Items put on display included 19 firearms, almost 17 kilograms of fentanyl, 14 kilograms of cocaine, and various other drugs.

Det. Srg. Josh Silcox heads the London Police Guns and Gangs Section and noted significant seizures in recent months, "This includes the single largest fentanyl seizure in the history of the London Police Service. In total, these investigations have resulted in over $8 million in drugs seized in the process. Seventy people have been charged."

Police leadership continue to stress the link between guns and drugs, and the importance of addressing both.

They point to an incident on Nov. 19, where four people burst into an apartment and shots were fired into a wall. Police say one of the suspects, 28-year-old Nicholas Traviss, has since been arrested.

Silcox said a search of Traviss’ residence yielded fentanyl, carfentanil, oxycodone pills, and four loaded handguns, adding, “As a result of this investigation, Nicholas Traviss has been charged with several firearms and drugs offenses.”

Police are still looking for two other suspects related to this offence.  

Suspect 1

• Indigenous man
• 25-35 years old
• Larger build
• Average height
• Wearing a black or dark navy “Jordan” hooded sweater, black pants and grey running shoes with white laces and white soles
• Black facial hair on his chin and a thin black moustache

Suspect 2

• White man
• 25-35 years old and walks with a slight lean to his right
• Wearing grey jeans with red markings on the inside of the pant legs below the knee, a black jacket with red inner lining and black high-top sneakers

On Saturday morning, shots were fired in the area of White Oak Road and Southdale Road East. That then led police to the London Health Sciences Centre Victoria Campus emergency department where more shots were fired just outside the emergency room entrance.

A man was found with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police are looking for a four-door silver or grey sedan, possibly a 2019 Hyundai Sonata as part of a shooting investigation. (Source: London police)

Police released new photos of a suspect vehicle, identifying it is a grey or silver, 2018 or 2019 Hyundai Sonata with a sunroof.

London Deputy Chief Paul Bastien said police continue to see same people involved in criminal activity and the arrests since July illustrate that, "Of 70 people charged, 40 had one or more prior convictions related to drug and weapons offenses.”

Still, police say they're making headway when it comes to fighting crime. Truong noted that while many municipalities across Canada have seen their Crime Severity Index climb, London's has dropped, "That reduction was a substantial 14 per cent decrease from the previous year. That includes a 10 per cent reduction in violent crime severity."

Even with those numbers, Mayor Josh Morgan continues to support a significant increase in the police budget to help the service modernize.