By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The Cobourg Police Services Dynamic Patrol, announced May 1, has been such a success that Deputy Chief Jeffrey Haskins thinks it should become a permanent initiative.
Haskins reported on it at the Sept. 17 Police Services Board meeting, the push for providing proactive engagement with the downtown and nearby neighbourhoods with the ultimate aim of crime prevention and reduction.
To date, they report 520 foot patrols, 517 property checks and 194 arrests (including 33 trespass-to-property charges).
There were also targeted projects, one of the first of which was a shopping-cart-reclamation blitz from May 13 to 18. They recovered 83 carts worth $600 to $2,000 each, all of which were returned to their rightful stores. As it was an educational initiative as well, no charges were laid – though, Haskins noted, those stealing carts since that time have been charged.
They worked on this with targeted communities and organizations, such as the Peterborough AIDS Resource Network. Carts are often used by the homeless to carry their belongings and, in some cases, alternatives (such as wagons) were offered.
A bail-compliance initiative May 1 to 26 saw 21 arrests, seven of them involving individuals with outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions.
For their Dynamic Patrols, they leveraged auxiliary members and special constables to augment their force, as it proved a challenge when officers assigned to this duty had to leave for priority calls.
“We heard loud and clear – when the police were present and able to be present in the downtown, there was a notable difference in atmosphere,” Haskins said.
Haskins was followed on the agenda by Chief Paul VandeGraaf, who turned the spotlight on other community highlights – such as the Cram-A-Cruiser events for the last two months that have been a big boost to the local food bank. The one in August brought in 910 lb. of food and $1,735 in donations, with 1,300 lb. of food and $3,000 in donations added to the total in September.
A two-week Back To School Road Safety blitz offered awareness and education the first week (Aug. 26 to 30) as back-to-school time approached, followed by enhanced enforcement the first week of school.
The week of Aug. 26 to 30 saw 58 warnings issued (39 of them for speeding), and the second week saw 123 charges laid (97 of them for speeding).
Auxiliary officers were recruited to help out with this blitz. With some officers working overtime, this put the cost of this initiative at about $5,500.
The Pitch To The Chief police-tech competition is set for Sept. 25 at the Venture 13 centre in Cobourg.
Six companies will have 10 minutes to pitch their ideas for a $30,000 prize ($5,000 cash plus a $25,000 investment). Along with VandeGraaf, the panel to which they will pitch will include chiefs and deputy chiefs of police from Port Hope, Cornwall and the Akwasasne Reserve.
