By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Coming on the heels of the renewal of his contract until 2029, Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf provided the July meeting of the Police Services Board with his annual report for 2023 that illustrates an ever-growing demand for service.
The 13,747 calls for service represented a 22% over the 11,287 received last year.
“When I came to Cobourg, there were 5,000 calls for service – that’s pretty remarkable in 10 years,” VandeGraaf noted.
Though these calls included 50 applications of force (up from 17 in 2022), that amounts to 0.13% of calls for service. To the chief, this indicates officers successfully using de-escalation techniques.
Mental health calls rose 13%, with 509 wellness checks and 339 mental-health calls. And there was a 16% increase in thefts under $5,000, rising to 478 from 400 last year.
Along with 51 break-and-enters (up from 42 last year), there were 352 motor-vehicle collisions (up from 255 last year). Of this number, 275 required police reports and, significantly 72% of them took place in parking lots – “where there really isn’t personal injury,” VandeGraaf pointed out.
Nine imitation firearms were seized (up from one last year), and $238,200 worth of drugs were seized ($107,200 more than last year). This includes 407 grams of fentanyl or, basically, enough for 4,000 to 8,000 fatal overdoses.
There were 345 community services engagement opportunities, such as school visits, parades and summer events. These included two coffee-with-the-chief sessions, 24 presentations and three town halls. These were attended by more than 200 people giving direct feedback.
Cram-A-Cruiser events helped local food banks by bringing in 21,309 lb. of food and more than $27,000 in donations.
Their $10,017,664 gross operating budget was up 5.1% over the previous year. Of this amount, 22.28% (or $4,172,330) was from “recoveries.” This category includes a partnership with the Police Tech Accelerator, the chief said (including access to their amazing grant writers), as well as income from their Corporate Services enterprise (which funds all their capital projects). As for the staff who provide this expertise, he added, “their salaries are covered by that funding.”
VandeGraaf added that 11 complaints were filed, up from seven in 2022.
“We take our professionalism seriously. We address any complaints from the public that we hear, officially or unofficially, and we seek a resolution ASAP,” he said.
Their Downtown Action Plan, launched in May 2023, identifies such priority areas as increased visibility as well as more foot patrols, CCTV cameras and homelessness response.
Their partnership with the Canadian Centre for Addictions has included provincial money to provide a roadmap to recovery for those who are ready for treatment but face barriers in accessing it. This program provides funding for a 30-day treatment regimen, followed post-program care and access to services.
Three such courses of treatment were completed this year, and two of these people are now housed, employed and living independently.
VandeGraaf offered his praise for the force’s “unwavering commitment and exceptional service throughout the past year.”
And while annual reports are a provincial requirement, he added, “it’s a great opportunity for us to really reflect on how we are doing as an organization collectively.”
