Editorial – There were two significant events in Cobourg on Monday, June 3, 2019.
One was expected, the other wasn’t.
One was a celebration to begin Pride Month with a Rainbow Crossing on Second Street at King Street just to the east of Victoria Hall.
Second Street was filled with people in the area celebrating the new crosswalk.
Rainbow flags, matched the crossing. Smiling faces on a celebration of acceptance.
A joyous occasion marked by attendees along with dignitaries.
The other, a disturbing call at St. Mary Secondary School where a threats was made to the school in relation to a firearm.
Cobourg Police were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Today’s Northumberland attended the school within minutes of being notified by a concerned parent.
There were three marked police cruisers parked outside the front entrance when Today’s Northumberland arrived. An unmarked police vehicle arrived at the front entrance a short time later.
Which means there had to have been at least four police officers at the school with 850 students inside.
We asked the Cobourg Police Communications Coordinator Lauire Debattista how many lockdowns there have been in the last several years. We’ve heard no reply. We’ve also asked what senior officers were on scene at the school – no reply.
While the investigation was taking place at St. Mary Secondary School, simultaneously the Chief and Deputy Chief of Cobourg Police were at the unveiling of the crosswalk with many other dignitaries including Mayor John Henderson and members of Cobourg Council.
While officers were at the school going from classroom to classroom looking for a possible armed suspect, the Chief was with other dignitaries, while the Deputy Chief was directing traffic because of the number of people in attendance for the ceremony.
This is the reply we did get from Debattista:
“First of all I want to thank you for coming to the event this morning. It was great to see all the media showing support for PRIDE month.
Our officers are well-trained to handle these situations and they worked with the Northumberland OPP to ensure the students and everyone else in the school were safe.
Our Deputy Chief was directing traffic with our Auxiliary Superintendent because we wanted to ensure the safety of everyone during the event.”
But what about the safety of 850 students?
Was the threat against St. Mary Secondary School creditable or not? The courts will decide as a youth has now been charged after being picked up by Northumberland OPP. Thankfully nobody was injured. At least physically. For some students the board has offered help.
Everyone deals with trauma differently. What one person may “laugh off” another one could be forever changed.
Being told to turn off the lights in a classroom – stay off the phones causes fear. Understandable fear. There is no community that says “it can’t happen to us” anymore.
Given how serious a threat of violence of using a firearm is at a school in Cobourg is, it’s understandable also to have questions.
There might be a perfectly logical explanation why senior officers weren’t in attendance at the school and were downtown at the unveiling of the Rainbow Crosswalk. But given there has been no response – we’ll never know.
But as a parent I’d certainly feel more secure knowing that any officers who were available to attend a call where the threat of a firearm might be used would be attending that call.
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
