Exclusive – Numerous issues continue to plague the Cobourg Police Service says officer.
Today’s Northumberland has been told that another road officer has gone off as of last week bringing the total number of officers to 10 of 17 general patrol road officers.
The officers are off for a number of reasons including medical.
One officer who is an association member stated previously they believe it is a “crisis” what is happening to the service.
Management of the service dispute the numbers stating to the public they aren’t the truth.
Local resident Ron Hyatt said after sending a letter to Cobourg Mayor Gil Brocanier, it was forwarded to the Chief of Police Kai Liu called him in response to the letter.
During the conversation Chief Liu inferred that Today’s Northumberland was “fake news” said Hyatt.
“I said if Today’s Northumberland is fake, then all these other stories that I’m hearing from citizens who have had to deal with situations are also fake?”
“There was no response to that.”
Chief Liu denied making the comment when he spoke with Today’s Northumberland.
The Cobourg Police Association has stated the service is comprised of:
– one chief
· one deputy chief,
· one acting inspector,
· one staff sergeant
· one acting staff sergeant
· five CERT (Community Engagement Response Team) members (including an acting Sergeant)
· two CIB (Criminal Investigations Branch, detective sergeants and detective constable)
· 12 uniformed officers responding to calls for service on four platoons. Currently two platoons have Acting Sergeants and two platoons have confirmed Sergeants.
· One officers is also on modified duties.
· One officer is seconded to Ontario Police College.
Deputy Chief Paul VandeGraaf has written to one citizen stating, “there are 22 officers available to be deployed to calls.”
Which doesn’t include the Chief and Deputy Chief.
An officer stated that the acting inspector, staff sergeant and acting staff sergeant rarely if ever are on general patrol. The Criminal Investigations Branch are similar and rarely are on general patrol.
One officer is on modified duties and one officer is seconded to the Ontario Police College.
Today’s Northumberland has also learned the officer at the Ontario Police College is coming back and will be on general patrol starting on October 25.
The service is also involved in creating a containment team and two officers are currently on a five week course.
Management of the service is keeping quiet on the total number of officers are off to Today’s Northumberland, but Deputy Chief VandeGraaf did confirm in an e-mail to one person there are eight officers off, and six of those are off due to stress.
Hyatt said Chief Liu also stated that his officers were working without a collective bargaining agreement since the end of last year.
Hyatt said Chief Liu told him the officers could protest by wearing ball caps and jeans to work, but the Ontario Police Association doesn’t allow them to do that.
Hyatt then posed the question, “because they are not allowed to protest that way, obviously you must be having officers that are taking days here and days there off in protest?”
“He didn’t say anything. Didn’t agree and didn’t disagree.”
But Chief Liu did say that some officers are sick and pregnant.
“But to me it just doesn’t all add up,” said Hyatt.
Shortly after his conversation with the Chief of Police, Hyatt spoke to Today’s Northumberland.
“I’m hearing his side and I think he’s just trying to save face.”
“He knows there are problems,” said Hyatt.
One officer stated other officers they have spoken to, “are flying off the handle” when they heard anyone would think they are off other than for a valid reason.
“That’s outrageous.”
“(The) Deputy confirmed that six are off on medical leave which is obviously supported by a physician, but you’re telling a citizen that they’re off because we don’t have a contract?”
The officer confirms if the Deputy Chief is adding the acting inspector, staff sergeant and acting staff sergeant, “they don’t count” referring to the number of 22 officers on general patrol.
“They are not general patrol officers.”
“The majority of our calls are calls for service – people need the police.”
“CERT has been ordered not to respond to calls unless they are a priority (or motor vehicle collision).”
“So besides going to a stabbing (or mvc), they aren’t supporting road officers.”
Staff Sergeant Brent Allison just returned from a 10-day trip to Guatemala on a knowledge exchange with lessons on the power of collaboration to tackle gender violence with two other organizations.
“Why are we sending people to Guatemala if we’re so short?”
“CERT could easily be deployed back to the road, but they’re not.”
“Disband them. We don’t need CERT. We need road officers. We need response officers.”
VandeGraaf also stated in a social media interview that, “we rarely pass a call off from one shift to the next.”
But one officer said, “I know for a fact that’s not true.”
Calls are held over on a regular basis.
As far as the number of officers on patrol,
The social media article states that platoons that used to have four officers now have three.
“Three is a minimum, but there is two people working often, when the town is paying for three,” said the officer.
“That’s what our contract states – minimum of three, not minimum of two.”
“If we’re short, say we have two people. So they go to fill the overtime and nobody will answer the phone. Why would you when you’re just going to be criticized for everything.”
“So nobody answers the call for overtime.”
But the officer adds when no one answers their phones, why doesn’t the on call officer, like the acting inspector or acting staff sergeant coming in to get the minimum required?
“Why is senior management above Sergeant not filling the road?”
“If you have to force people to work overtime why are you not making the guys that work an eight hour shift, why don’t you put them on a 12-hour shift schedule?”
A critical issue is the lack of experience with some officers who are thrown into a acting sergeant position.
“Do you have any idea the catastrophe that could turn into,” states the officer.
“You’re talking about people with one year experience running the town of Cobourg on a night shift.”
“That is so dangerous.”
“And do you know how stressful that is for people that don’t want to be Acting Sergeants?”
“They have to decide and make these decisions that they’re not capable of making because they don’t have enough work experience and confidence to make them.”
Another issue is as of last week, officers are being forced to work overtime.
“You don’t have a choice.”
There is very low morale in the service because of a number of issues.
Acting Staff Sergeant Brent Allison started off an e-mail to all officers about the forced overtime stating “perhaps I wasn’t clear in the first email so let’s try this again.”
The officer said the words were demeaning.
“You want to talk to people like they are dirt, you’re not going to ever improve morale,” stated the officer.
“You’re isolating people and making them feel small, like they’re not doing the best they can with what they have.”
The e-mail referred to mandatory overtime on foot patrol.
“You have two people working, how in the hell are you going to respond to dispatch calls and go and do extras like foot patrols?”
The officer stated that it’s time to get police back on the road and do what they are paid to do.
Things like Breakfast Clubs at schools and Lemonade Stands have their place, but not when the numbers are so short for regular patrol.
“Those are things they tell us in e-mails, “you will attend these no matter what, unless there is an absolute priority call to go to.”
“So if you call me about an accident, you could be sitting there for an hour or two because I have to go to breakfast club.”
The officer said the breakfast club is a great idea, “but I think it’s one of those things that need to happen when we have time, when we have resources, and maybe we can just have a school officer.”
With the municipal election on the horizon, some officers are wondering why the issue concerning police being raised ?
“When there is a debate, someone needs to go up and say “what are you doing about the police service?”
“This is a crisis.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
