Cobourg Police – Makes You Wonder?

Pete Fisher
6 years ago
• Categories: Editorial

Editorial – Some things just make you wonder.
This past week has been a busy one for Cobourg Police
A stabbing where a person was airlifted, along with a sexual assault and robbery on the same day.
Violent incidents which thankfully and hopefully are not the “norm” in this area.
But even with a new communications officer there has been very little information from the Cobourg Police Service about any of these investigations.

Certainly the integrity of the investigations are paramount to a successful conclusion. Hopefully that will come sooner than later.
But the public also has to feel secure about their safety, or, things could escalate. People may even feel scared to leave their homes.
With the robbery and sexual assault, aside from the original press release there has been no new information – nothing.
In part the release states, “a woman was robbed and sexually assaulted by an unknown male in the parking lot of a local business.”
Many people have commented, what business, what parking lot?
Doctors office, post office, mall, hospital, and municipal parking lots. The list goes on where it could have happened.

Surely police stating the parking lot is in the north, east, west or south wouldn’t jeopardize the investigation. How could it?
If they aren’t going to release the general vicinity, how can they expect the public to help?
A member of the public may have witnessed someone in the general area of where it occurred, possibly even witnessed a person matching the description getting into a car, but if the public doesn’t know the area, there is a very slim chance they would recall seeing a person matching the description.
Every person would like to know how is the victim doing? Any type of sexual assault, or even assault could leave scars that may heal, but it’s the emotional impact that never will go away.
Would police consider using an OPP sketch artist to help in the investigation?
So many basic questions, yet once again, police remain silent.

Next, the stabbing.
Today’s Northumberland first broke the story about the stabbing on March 27 where a victim was wheeled into Northumberland Hills Hospital by an unknown person who left the scene. The victim was later airlifted to a trauma centre
On March 28, Cobourg Police issued a release stating they were looking for a suspect, they also named who they believe was “armed and dangerous.”
Today’s Northumberland asked shortly after receiving the release if a photo would be issued by police in hopes the public would recognize the individual better then having a general description.
E-mailing Laurie Debattista who is the new communications spokesperson with the Cobourg Police Service she stated they would not be releasing the photo or letting people know where the sexual assault took place.
It almost begs the question, why even issues a description? For the stabbing it’s obviously for the people who know the suspect, but for anyone else, the description is useless.

Speaking with Cobourg Police as the air ambulance was taking off at Northumberland Hills Hospital with the stabbing victim on March 27, a Cobourg Police officer stated he did not want it released that the victim was being airlifted from Northumberland Hills Hospital for security reasons, but a short time later when the first release was issued it stated exactly that.

And also, how is the victim? It was obviously a serious wound if the victim was airlifted, but nothing released. Makes you wonder.

Next, in the weekly media release issued by police it stated a number of motor vehicle collisions where people were charged, but didn’t give their names.
Today’s Northumberland asked Debattista what the process is for releasing names.
“For the motor collisions, we normally don’t release names because there is no safety issue, or concern for the public.”
But on March 31, Cobourg Police released the name of a person charged with Stunt Driving.
Police said the driver was “consuming alcohol” though there were no alcohol charges stated in the release.
A Stunt Driving conviction is essentially a ticket. It’s not criminal in nature. Relatively the same as most motor vehicle collision charges in that they are both traffic related and fall under Provincial Offences.
A person could argue, speeding is about as much of a safety issue and concern for the public. So why release the name for one and not the other, or don’t release either as neither is a criminal offence.

Lastly, when Today’s Northmberland was created, Cobourg Police (Chief), even the former Chair of the Police Services Board stated Today’s Northumberland needed a business e-mail to receive press releases. Nothing else would do – nothing. In fact, until a business e-mail was created, Today’s Northumberland was blocked from receiving press releases. To this date, my personal e-mail has been blocked from the entire service (Even though I reside in Cobourg). Only Today’s Northumberland business e-mail will go through.

On April 2, 2019, the Cobourg Police Service announced it has created a new way of issuing releases.
Debattista stated, “as we move towards a more efficient and best practice way of doing communications, we have decided to change the process of delivery on our crime-related media releases.”
The police service will no longer be issuing e-mail releases for crime related matters. They will be using their twitter to notify everyone of a media release.

Makes one wonder why it was such a major issue about getting releases before? And even more so, why my personal e-mail is still blocked.
The police service and Police Service Board members including its Chair must start to realize this is a public service.
If not, people may start to wonder if another police service could do better keeping citizens informed.