Toronto Police Service (TPS) is advising parents in Midtown neighbourhoods to be particularly vigilant of parties their kids attend after one high school gathering in Rosedale resulted in three reports of swarming-style robberies and assaults.
According to a TPS report, the parties are often referred to as “Rosedale jams.” These events are first being advertised online and on social media sites, which then produce a turnout in the hundreds from across the city. This results in many of the attendees being strangers to each other.
On Sept. 16, a teenager between the ages of 14 and 16 was robbed and stabbed at a park near Mount Pleasant Road and Roxborough Drive. Two other victims were also robbed and assaulted. Police continue to search for the suspects: a group of eight to 10 boys and girls in their teens.
Police constable Timothy Somers, of 53 Division, said officers are monitoring several social media pages and websites and have increased park presence, with City of Toronto park employees also put on notice.
“No matter how much public warning we give this 14 to 16 age group, when someone is going to bait them with free alcohol and drugs, they’re going to go,” said Somers. “We are concerned that whoever is behind this type of party is going to continue to try to set those parties up and therefore proliferate and continue with this type of activity like robbing.”
According to Somers, there have been other attempts at parties since Sept. 16, but he credited additional park patrols as a successful deterrent thus far.
An online blog called Miss Informed recently advertised a party at Howard Talbot Park in Leaside as “one of the best parties of the year.”
Miss Informed reports information from six schools: Northern Secondary School, North Toronto Collegiate Institute, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, Forest Hill Collegiate Institute and Beverley Heights Middle School.
“We are investigating the sources that supplied that information to the website [Miss Informed], and they are certainly persons of interest in being part of the suspects who are actually committing these crimes,” said Somers.
Toronto District School Board (TDSB) spokesperson Ryan Bird said the board is aware of these parties being promoted online by individuals attending their schools but can’t commit to any disciplinary action because those posting have yet to be identified.
Police believe there have been more unreported assaults related to the parties. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police.
