Police wrapping up investigation into individual possibly connected to WLM posters

Regional Police are expected to make public comments this week as they wrap up their investigation into White Lives Matter posters appearing in Wilmot and Wellesley.

“Obviously, a very disturbing process that's been ongoing in Wilmot, Wellesley. We did see it kind of push into Kitchener,” said Chief Bryan Larkin on the Mike Farwell Show Tuesday. “I mean, simply, very challenging to see these poster put up, particularly when we're trying to do so much work around advancing our community addressing systemic discriminations, systemic racism, and particularly when you look at the tragedy of the Kamloops residential school that our community and all of Canada is so sickened and saddened by.”

Larkin made the comments following a citizen exposé that went public over the weekend, identifying a man who was allegedly responsible for putting up the posters.

“Our intelligence unit had been investigating this and our criminal detectives had been investigating this for some time,” said Larkin. “Of course, what happens on the internet, and with social media, there are social media vigilantes that do work which is, in many ways, contrary to the Charter and the Constitution, and things that the police service is not able to do. And I actually support that we're not able to do that so we can ensure the right pieces.”

Larkin said investigators have been working with the Crown Attorney to figure out which charges can be laid, and that they were aware of the person of interest.

“But we also had a number of complainants, and we were working towards whether or not this constituted a form of criminal harassment,” he said. “This is disturbing, but what I can tell you from an intelligence perspective and from an investigative perspective, in our region at this time, although we may have individuals that have views that may not align with social norms and may not align with values of Canadian citizens, we do not have operating groups or extremist groups operating in the region. They're often singular or lone.”

Larkin said there is still work to be done around liasing and working and connecting with migrant workers to ensure their safety.