The Cobourg Police Service appears to have issued a release in direct response to a social media on Facebook by one of their officers.
On Saturday, July 6, 2019, veteran Cobourg Police Constable Larry Davis posted on Facebook stating, “absolute insanity these days in policing.”
“Today I am one of two officers in Cobourg till 6 pm. Responsible for roughly 18,000 residents, a full beach and music fest to boot downtown. Have a safe weekend everybody!!!”
Since Today’s Northumberland published the post there has been a large response from members of the public.
Communications Coordinator Laurie Debattista issued a release on Sunday afternoon shortly before 2 p.m. with the authorization of Deputy Chief Paul VandeGraaf.
“The Cobourg police are confident in the quality policing they provide for the Town of Cobourg and the safety of the community is always upheld to the highest regard,” states the release.
“The Cobourg police have a senior officer on-call 24/7 and a reciprocal relationship with the Port Hope Police Service, and the Ontario Provincial Police, should there be an emergency or the need for backup.”
“The Cobourg Police Services Board, Cobourg Police Service, and the Cobourg Police Association have worked collaboratively implementing short-term and long-term staffing solutions, all the while increasing drug enforcement activity, community engagement and community policing with local agencies.”
“The police service shifts and roster (number of employees, overtime worked, etc.) are confidential and Human Resources related. When an employee publishes this information, it is taken seriously by the Cobourg Police Services Board and Cobourg police. The president of the Cobourg police association work closely with the Cobourg Police Services Board and the Cobourg police to investigate these situations.”
When Today’s Northumberland reached out to senior staff on Saturday, Debattista stated, “this is an HR (Human Resources) issue that we cannot discuss publicly.”
“The Deputy Chief says the Association Executive and Senior Management Team are aware of this and are working collaboratively to resolve.”
Chief Liu added, “I spoke with Laurie and advised her this was HR issue and the background.”
Breaking News – “Insanity” of Policing In Cobourg States Veteran Officer