Toronto and Peel regional police officers recognized for bravery and investigative skills by banking industry
For Immediate Release
August 27, 2008
Montreal, QC – Breaking up forgery labs, uncovering millions of dollars worth of counterfeit travellers cheques and money orders and physically subduing a bank robbery suspect are all in a day’s work for Constable Tiffany St. Denis of Peel Regional Police and Detective-Constable Rob Armstrong of the Toronto Police Service.
Tonight in Montreal, these officers will be honoured with the Canadian Banks’ Law Enforcement Award (CBLEA), which is presented annually at the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Conference gala ceremony to officers who have excelled at combating crimes committed against Canada’s banks.
“The banking industry appreciates the exceptional efforts of Detective-Constable Armstrong and Constable St. Denis on these complicated assignments,” said Nathalie Clark, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at the Canadian Bankers Association, who will be presenting the awards on behalf of the banking industry. “Canada’s banks work very closely with police forces across the country to prevent and investigate bank robberies and various types of fraud, and this is our opportunity to publicly acknowledge their outstanding efforts.”
Detective-Constable Rob Armstrong – Toronto Police Service
Detective-Constable Armstrong is recognized for his exceptional work and bravery during a 2008 bank robbery. After being notified by the bank of a robbery in progress, the Toronto Police Service Emergency Task Force and the K-9 Unit secured the area. Dressed in plain clothes, Detective-Constable Armstrong entered the branch, provided real-time intelligence for approximately one hour to investigating officers outside during the robbery and tackled the suspect as he left the bank.
His courageous actions resulted in a safe ending for employees, customers and the accused in this dangerous situation and the suspect was charged with one count of Robbery and one count of Forcible Confinement.
Constable Tiffany St. Denis – Peel Regional Police
In May of 2007, Crimestoppers received tips that an individual who had served time in the United States for producing counterfeit government identification was active in Peel Region. Constable St. Denis’ investigation led to the arrest of a number of individuals and the discovery of a sophisticated forgery lab in a Brampton, Ontario home. However, the main suspect remained at large. In December of 2007, Constable St. Denis’ public request for tips led to the suspect’s arrest and the dismantling of another forgery lab in Guelph.
Constable St. Denis’ perseverance resulted in a number of arrests and the seizure of approximately $6 million worth of counterfeit travellers cheques and money orders as well as a number of fraudulent passports, citizenship cards and driver’s licences that could have been used to commit identity theft.
Since the creation of the CBLEA in 1972, 212 officers from across Canada have been honoured with the Canadian Banks’ Law Enforcement Award for their outstanding bravery, dedication and other noteworthy achievements in combating crimes against Canada’s banks. Additional information about the CBLEA can be found at www.cba.ca.
The Canadian Bankers Association works on behalf of 51 domestic chartered banks, foreign bank subsidiaries and foreign bank branches operating in Canada and their 257,000 employees to advocate for efficient and effective public policies governing banks and to promote an understanding of the banking industry and its importance to Canadians and the Canadian economy.
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For more information:
Melanie Minos, Canadian Bankers Association
Tel: (416) 362-6093, ext. 220
Cell: (416) 587-7733
E-mail: mminos@cba.ca
