Shred It - so that the identity theives can't get their hands on it - when they do they frequently empty your bank account.

News 100 greenBy Pepper Parr

October 6, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Gazette gets a couple of dozen request each week asking us to promote an event – more often tan not a store opening where the Mayor sometimes cuts a ribbon.

We explain two things to people who send in these requests – there is a line between our promoting an event and the business people advertising their events.

We got a request to mention the Shred It event Crime Stoppers is putting on – this is a really valuable public service and we have in the past promoted them.

Deputy Chief Nishan Duraiappah pleads his innocence to the charge of Grand Theft Donuts, looking on is Halton Regional Police Detective Constable Paul Proteau.

Halton Regional Police Detective Constable Paul Proteau at an event with Deputy Chief Nishan Duraiappah

 

This year the Shred It event was to take place in Oakville and Georgetown.  We explained to Detective Constable Proteau that we cover Burlington events – he responded with: “I know but I’m trying to serve as large an area as I can – that is why I chose half way between Burlington/Oakville right at HQ here.

Proteau added that in the spring we did Milton and now in the fall I’m doing Georgetown. I’m having this issue with the other papers too as they say if it isn’t in our city so we shouldn’t print it. I have to try and serve everyone in the region.

He mentioned as well that “we raised approximately $3100.00 with our combined spring shreds; hoping to make the fall outcome better as we didn’t do as well on the Sunday which was Mother’s Day.

Proteau made an important point – so here is what they want to say to the public about their Shred It event.

police-fall-shred-2016Halton Crime Stoppers needs your help to keep our communities safe and secure.

Not only do we require the eyes and ears of everyone watching out for each other, but you must make sure your own private and personal information doesn’t fall into the hands of criminals.

In an effort to protect area residents from becoming victims of identity theft and other fraud, Halton Crime Stoppers will host a Community Shred Event through our semi-annual Feed the Beast fundraising campaign.

The events run on Saturday, October, 15th at the Halton Region Centre, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville (lot A) and, Sunday, October, 16th at The Real Canadian Superstore, 171 Guelph Street, Georgetown. Both the Region of Halton and The Real Canadian Superstore are graciously donating the space on their property for the events.

On both days the event runs from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. The cost for the events are $5 per grocery bag, $10 per bankers boxes and $15 per larger bags and/or boxes. When you arrive look for the distinctive FileBank Canada truck with the large beast on the side which will be ready to gobble up your person documents so no one else can get them.

Autumn is traditionally a clean-up time when people get rid of clutter around the house, but Detective Paul Proteau, coordinator of Halton’s Crime Stoppers program, warns against throwing invoices, bank statements, old tax records or credit cards receipts in trash cans for local pick-up.

“Criminals routinely steal garbage left outside homes to obtain information that can be used to defraud people through various scams, including identify theft,” said Proteau.

“Shred all personal items to ensure your private information doesn’t get into the hands of those who will victimize you,” he said. “Scam artists can create phony credit cards to make purchases anywhere in the world; they can obtain mortgages in your name; they can get loans or they can produce documents and take over your identity.”

Proteau said victims of these crimes are forced to spend considerable amounts of money and countless amounts of time straightening out the problems that these criminals cause. “It is truly a nightmare for victims of identity theft,” he said.

Through the years Halton Crime Stoppers has set up Community Shred Events in partnership with FileBank Canada, not only to raise money to assist the program to combat crime, but more importantly to protect residents from the horrendous difficulties they can face through identity theft and other crimes that can be perpetrated when personal information gets into the hands of criminals.

FileBank Canada – an innovative shredding and record storage company established 28 years ago – provides a mobile, state-of-the-art pulverizing unit, free of charge to Halton Crime Stoppers, to instantly destroy any documents you bring to our Community Shred Event. Personal papers are reduced to tiny fragment and later recycled to produce other paper products.

So you are not only helping to keep our communities safe from crime, but you are also being green and protecting the environment. It’s a win-win situation for everyone when you shred your sensitive papers at the Halton Crime Stoppers Community Shred Event.

“Last year we destroyed hundreds of pounds of personal documents, that’s a lot of paper that didn’t find its way to a landfill” said Proteau.getting new - yellow

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