Recently, Brampton MPs Ruby Sahota, Sonia Sidhu, and Kamal Khera took the issue to violence in the region to the Peel Police Services Board, requesting more police presence near Sheridan College to prevent these fights.
“Recently, several incidents of violence involving youth in Brampton have been reported, particularly in the areas of Shoppers World Plaza and Sheridan College. Videos of the incidents are widely being circulated on social media and our offices have received several calls and emails regarding the escalating violence and the safety in our community,” Brampton East MP Raj Grewal, Brampton West MP Kamal Khera, Brampton North MP Ruby Sahota and Brampton South MP Sonia Sidhu said in a joint statement.
“As elected Members of Parliament for Brampton, keeping our community safe is our number one priority. In the coming days, we will be meeting with the Mayor of Brampton, the Chief of Peel Regional Police, the new Progressive Conservative provincial administration, and Sheridan College to see how we can address, together, the root cause(s) of this surge in violence. We must work together at all levels of government and with our community to respond to this issue and to reassure all those in Brampton that we will join forces to prevent future violence.”
The most recent incident caught on video appears to have occurred at College Plaza, near Sheridan College’s Brampton campus at the corner of McLaughlin Road South and Steeles Avenue West, on June 20.
It shows more than a dozen people throwing punches and kicking at each other, with at least one person being dragged with a group of people tugging at his shirt.
Peel police are aware of the video and are asking residents to come forward with more information.
With the community’s concern surrounding these violent incidents, the Sheridan College has released a statement to address the brawls.
“Analysis shows that in the vast majority of these incidents, no Sheridan students were involved,” reads the statement.
“With mounting concern in the community and a rise in attention on social media concerning violent incidents occurring in plazas in Brampton, Sheridan is speaking out in response to the wrongful and harmful perception that international students are instigating these senseless acts.”
According to the college, it has reported incidents occurring in the commercial plaza and provided assistance with the investigations.
"It is important that we do not wrongfully jump to conclusions and associate these acts of violence with any students, whether they are international or domestic, post-secondary or otherwise," said Dr. Mary Preece, President and Vice Chancellor of Sheridan, in the statement.
"To do so is extremely damaging for students, for post-secondary institutions and for the perception of immigration in general."
Assaults in Peel have gone up, with the latest statistics showing there were 4,269 assault calls in Mississauga and Brampton in 2016, up nine per cent from the 3,869 calls in 2015.
Police Chief Jennifer Evans said at a recent luncheon she is noticing “a trend of increasing violent crime.”
Anyone with additional information on the fight can call police at 905-453-2121, ext. 2233 or Peel Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
