St. Thomas Police Chief Chris Herridge has issued a plea regarding a prolific offender in the city.
Kevin George Ashford, 42, of no fixed address has generated 270 case files since 2018, with 115 criminal charges withdrawn by the courts.
Herridge goes on to note Ashford has several court-imposed conditions and demonstrates no respect for the courts or justice system and blatantly disregards the conditions imposed, resulting in 30 breach of release charges in 2022 alone, 20 of which were withdrawn and 10 are pending.
Herridge adds, the public is being alerted to Ashford’s release, as “his presence in your business or neighbourhood creates a substantial concern for property crime offences.”
He is asking the public to contact St. Thomas Police if Ashford is observed breaking the law, as the service will respond to bring this repeat offender back before the courts.
Herridge goes on to note, city police “continue to make arrests and bring Ashford to court. It is unfortunate that we have to take this next step to protect the public. However, without adequate consequences or compulsory pathways to rehabilitation programs, the well-being of our community is at risk.
“It is my responsibility to ensure that I do what I can within the parameters of the law to keep our community safe. It truly is a challenge balancing the needs of the victim and supporting the vulnerable, and police officers are often caught in the middle. As stated in the Police Services Act, crime prevention is a core function of policing.”
