#5 District
8700 McCowan Road, Markham

Command Team:
Superintendent Robertson Rouse
Inspector John Burness

Superintendent Robertson Rouse and Inspector John Burness lead 186 sworn officers and five civilian members of #5 District Headquarters located in the Town of Markham.

Close to 300,000 citizens live within the District boundaries, which include the Town of Markham and the southern portion of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. The community has experienced rapid growth in recent years, with new housing developments and businesses locating in the area that boasts a unique blend of scenic farmland and corporate head offices.

The District is well served by the Stouffville Community Policing Centre, which is located in the heart of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and is staffed by dedicated volunteers.

In 2009, #5 District officers participated in a variety of community events, including the annual Taste of Asia Festival, Unionville Festival, Milliken Mills Children’s Festival and the Markham Fair.

Our Officers in Action

Foot Patrol with a Purpose

In 2009, York Regional Police expanded the Foot Patrol with a Purpose program, partnering with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in a six-month pilot project featuring dedicated police foot patrol at Pacific Mall and Market Village in the Town of Markham.

The program was initiated in response to increased complaints from residents about the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods such as CDs and DVDs.

Counterfeit goods, whether smuggled into Canada or produced here, represent

a significant financial loss to legitimate businesses, governments and taxpayers. The

RCMP is responsible for the enforcement of the criminal provisions of the Copyright Act that governs the sale of pirated goods like DVDs and enforcement is often carried out in partnership with local police agencies.

Given our strong commitment to community policing, York Regional Police set out to raise the police profile in these shopping areas.

With the assistance of our community partners including the Markham Bylaw Department and Markham Fire and Emergency Services, York Regional Police Constables Ricky Ho and Nick Yun, with their RCMP counterparts, began the six-month pilot project in March 2009, geared at investigation, inspection, awareness and enforcement.

Foot patrol officers have a unique perspective – from the ground up. They get to know their neighbourhoods and the people who live, work and play in them. They learn where residents would like to see increased police visibility and which areas are prone to criminal activity.

The same principles applied to the pilot project.

By the end of the six-month pilot, the number of stores selling counterfeit CDs and DVDs went from 42 to six under the constant scrutiny of the foot patrol officers. Investigation continues into those stores still suspected of selling pirated goods.

A total of 14 people were arrested and charged with 26 offences including Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Fraud, Assault and Weapons Trafficking in relation to replica guns being sold. In addition, 10 stores were charged with 44 municipal bylaw offences including infractions related to the sale of adult movies.

Reports from the malls’ security offices indicated other criminal activity like graffiti, shoplifting, mischief, and thefts from vehicles had markedly decreased, in large part due to police visibility.

Constable Ho pointed out that in addition to the success on the enforcement side, improved relations with the community was an added benefit.

“We were able to establish various community contacts because they were willing to share their concerns and thoughts with us,” he said. “We were able to bring our messages out in terms of crime prevention tips and information regarding ongoing investigations.”

The success of the pilot has resulted in regular foot patrols continuing at the malls, undertaken by the officers in the #5 District Community Oriented Response Unit. Awareness of counterfeit sales has been raised for both business operators and shoppers and business owners have benefitted from the closer relationship with police in terms of premise security and robbery prevention strategies.

York Regional Police has already seen success with our Foot Patrol with a Purpose program. Each District has dedicated officers to various foot patrol locations across York Region.