On Friday, July 4th, 2025, members from the Belleville Police Service Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) and Emergency Response Unit (ERU) arrested a 46-year-old male from the Peterborough area as a result of a child luring investigation. The male suspect had been operating in online chatrooms under the username “Peterboroguy”. As a result of the investigation, Jeffery Merrick, of Peterborough, was arrested and charged with two counts of luring a person under 16, one count of making written child pornography and one count of invitation to sexual touching. He is being held for a bail hearing. Police are aware that Merrick is the head coach of at least two U18 girls’ sports teams in the Peterborough and Cavan areas and are concerned there may be other victims. Possible victims or anyone with information in regard to this investigation are asked to contact D/Cst. Lacey Montgomery of the BPS ICE Unit

A 43-year-old male has been arrested in connection with the fatal hit-and-run collision that occurred late Wednesday night on Hwy 2.  On July 2nd at 10:48 pm, Belleville Police, Fire and Hastings Quinte Paramedics responded to Hwy 2 for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival, a 36-year-old Belleville man was transported to Belleville General Hospital and pronounced deceased by medical staff. In the afternoon of July 3rd, with the assistance of the Criminal Investigations Division and the Traffic Safety Unit, the Belleville Police arrested 43-year-old Joseph Scott Nestler, of Belleville. He was charged with failing to stop at an accident, resulting in death.  Nestler was released with a future court date. SECOND RELEASE SENT ON JULY 3 UPDATE – Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision Involving Pedestrian  ORIGINAL RELEASE SENT ON JULY 3 On-going Collision Investigation   Back to Briefs

On July 2nd at 10:48 pm, Belleville Police, Fire and Hastings Quinte Paramedics responded to Hwy 2 between Mitchell Rd and Burns Dr for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival, a 36-year-old Belleville man was transported to Belleville General Hospital and pronounced deceased by medical staff. At the scene, no vehicle was observed. Glass and debris were scattered on the road. There is an ongoing investigation into the hit-and-run, and the Belleville Police is asking for the public’s assistance. Police are appealing to anyone in the area between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm, particularly motorists with dashcam footage or security surveillance, or anyone with information related to a vehicle that has damage to its windshield, to please come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Rachel Sweet at 613-966-0882 ext. 4177 or via email at rsweet@bellevilleps.ca. ORIGINAL RELEASE On-going Collision Investigation Belleville Police, Fire and

The Belleville Police Service is pleased to announce that Inspector Jeremy Ashley was recognized during this year’s Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) awards ceremony on June 24, receiving the OACP Award of Excellence in Community Safety, Wellness & Crime Prevention for 2025.  This award recognizes the accomplishments of an officer and their community partners working together to improve community safety and well-being. Inspector Ashley was recognized for his instrumental role in developing CAMSafe, a community-based CCTV and security video registry designed to transform and strengthen how police and the public collaborate in crime prevention and investigations. Enabling residents and businesses to voluntarily register their security cameras, CAMSafe allows officers to quickly identify and access relevant video footage during investigations, equipping them with real-time tools to enhance public safety. Since launching in early 2021, CAMSafe has evolved into a province-wide initiative, used by 15 municipal police services and in over 40 communities served by

Update – Located On the 17th of June, Robert Billyard was located.  Police would like to thank community residents and our media partners for their continued efforts in locating Robert.  The Belleville Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 68-year-old Robert Billyard.   Robert was last observed on the 15th of June at 10:30am walking in the area of Dundas St. West and Wallbridge-Loyalist Road.  Robert is described as 6’0” tall and walks with a limp from a pre-existing injury.  He was last observed wearing a blue plaid shirt, black pants, a baseball cap and carrying a black side bag / satchel.  Below are two photos of Robert Billyard.  The photo on the left is from the 15th of June when he was last observed. Anyone who knows the whereabouts or observes Robert Billyard is asked to contact the Belleville Police Service at 613-962-3456.  Police are actively searching for

On June 11th and 12th, members of the Belleville Police Traffic Safety Unit in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police’s Traffic Incident Management and Enforcement Team, conducted a joint traffic enforcement blitz in the City of Belleville. The initiative focused on Commercial Motor Vehicles and modified vehicles, aiming to improve road safety and ensure compliance with provincial regulations. Throughout the two-day operation,16 commercial motor vehicles were stopped.  Of those, 13 were subject to full inspections. Five commercial vehicles were taken out of service, including one that was found to be unfit for road use which resulted in the licence plates being removed. One of the inspections led to the seizure of in excess of 1200 contraband cigarettes. As a result of that specific investigation, a 52-year old man from Angus was charged with possessing unmarked cigarettes under the Tobacco Tax Act. He was issued a summons for a future court