When did this happen?

The gunning down of Keyon Campbell at 1 a.m. may have left the impression the night is more dangerous than the day in Malvern, but that’s not true, police say.

You can’t convince residents of that.

A quick survey of people in the area shows many go home right after work and they stay there. And if they work here, when the day is done, they leave.

“There are certain parts you may want to avoid walking in when it gets dark,” said Doris Leung, an area resident. “I will not hang out in this area at night; I will go back home directly.”

Citadles Dtomas, a student from Centennial College, said even though he is originally from Trinidad and the crime in Malvern was “nothing” comparing to what he knew, he would still head out of the area after school.

These are not reasonable fears, police say. And the fact is, in six homicide cases recorded in Malvern and the directly adjacent areas this year, four of them happened in the day.

Detective Hank Idsinga, of the Homicide Squad, who is investigating Campbell’s case, said there was “absolutely” no reason for Malvern residents to feel unsafe at night and you would no more find danger here “than you would in any other part of the city.”

The investigator of another Scarborough shooting case agrees.

Detective Sergeant Savas Kyriacou agrees. He is investigating a shooting that took place on Nov. 28 near Morningside Avenue and Ellesmere Road, in which a 27-year-old man died.

“The crimes happening in Malvern are targeted attacks,” Kyriacou said. “It has things to do with these people’s own lifestyle.

“For people living a normal life, they really have nothing to worry about when they walk out at night unless they happen to be caught in the middle of something.”

However, Anthony Hutchinson, a social worker, said there is a time period in which youth crimes happen more often.

“Most youth crime happens between 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., which is in the late afternoon, early evening. Because that is the time kids get out of school and they have nothing to do,” he said.

Hutchinson is one of the organizers of Real Opportunities for Success in Education, a program Campbell, the slain teen, participated in last year.

About this article

By: Tianpei Ma
Posted: Dec 16 2007 12:00 pm
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Filed under: News