At the Cobourg Police Services Board meeting, held virtually on Tuesday, January 18, 2021, in accordance with section 28 (1) of the Police Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, the Chair and Vice-Chair for 2022 were elected.
Cobourg Police Services Board (the Board) members unanimously re-elected Dean Pepper as Chair and Dr. Ronald Kerr as Vice-Chair.
Chair Pepper and Vice-Chair Kerr will continue to provide leadership and governance, working closely with Chief VandeGraaf to identify objectives and priorities for Cobourg Police Service.
Dean Pepper was the originating Chairperson of the Cobourg Police Services Board, established in 1992. His experience as a police board member, as a local business owner and resident, gave him a more comprehensive understanding for how policing and safety contribute to the quality of life in Cobourg. Chair Pepper rejoined the Board in late 2018 to fill a vacancy and was re-elected in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
“It is an honour to serve the community in the capacity of Board Chair. I look forward to continuing to provide governance and harness opportunities for innovative engagement as the Board and Service foster safety, wellbeing, and inclusion in the Town of Cobourg. Applying a strategic, innovative lens will help increase capacity and strengthen partnerships as we support our members and strive to meet the vision of the Service.” – Dean Pepper, Chair of the Cobourg Police Services Board Dr. Ronald Kerr has served as Vice-Chair since February 2019. He continues to provide leadership on the Board’s Finance, Strategic Planning, and Policy and Labour Negotiations Committees. On January 14, 2022, Dr. Kerr was reappointed by the Executive Council of Ontario as a member of the Cobourg Police Services Board to serve at the pleasure of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
“I am committed to my community, and I take my role as Vice-Chair seriously. Amongst board members is a deep desire to see Cobourg continue to be a safe, healthy, and thriving community. I am committed to helping the Board remain accountable and transparent, working with the Service to meet the expectations of our residents. Through planning and setting priorities, we will remain fiscally responsible while ensuring our members are supported and ready to respond to shifting needs of the community we serve.” – Dr. Ronald Kerr, Vice-Chair of the Cobourg Police
Services Board
The most recent project by the Board under the leadership of Chair Dean Pepper and Vice-Chair Ronald Kerr has been the comprehensive look into the use of body worn cameras in Cobourg. This project concluded with a unanimous vote by the Board (December 2021) to move forward on the Officer Safety Plan program, which includes body worn cameras. The Officer Safety Plan will come at no additional cost to the taxpayer for the duration of the five-year contract.
Cobourg Police Service will rollout the Officer Safety Plan mid-2022.
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
