Police find weapons stashed in TCH building common areas
Police went on a two-day hunt for weapons in Toronto Community Housing buildings last week, finding guns and ammunition hidden in common areas.
At a news conference on Monday afternoon, police reviewed the results of a series of raids that occurred just before the weekend.
The so-called Project Walk-In raids were conducted at TCH buildings in eight police divisions across the city, in response to "community concerns" about recent incidents of violence.
Officers say they seized guns, ammunition, knives and even a sword during the raids last Thursday and Friday.
"With firearms being harder to come by, as well as ammunition, the bad guys … now purchase guns together," Insp. Shaun Narine told reporters Monday.
Narine said these individuals pool their money to obtain weapons and leave them in a location where they can be easily accessed such as the common areas of TCH buildings.
Drugs were also seized during the raids.
The TCH organization released a statement Monday, saying it is "troubling" to learn that "people engaged in criminal activities have put the safety of all residents and staff at risk" by hiding drugs and weapons in the common areas of public buildings.
The organization called on residents to call police if they have information about "suspicious activities in common areas" of TCH buildings.
Among the building searched by police was one near Jane Street and Finch Avenue where 15-year-old St. Aubyn Rodney was fatally shot on Feb. 11.
He is one of three 15-year-old boys who have been shot dead in Toronto since the start of the year.
Click on the video above to see a full report from the CBC's Aarti Pole.
