“We have prioritized a proactive and collaborative response, using an evidence-based approach to crime, calls for service, and community concerns, holding people accountable while providing support to vulnerable residents. However, the growing concern for visibility of public drug use and the associated risks, including accidental drug poisoning, trespassing, disorderly conduct, and property crime, has led to reports of residents feeling unsafe in parks and public spaces and an increase in calls for service in high impact areas. Through the Safer Streets Cobourg program, we will enhance our presence, increase bail compliance efforts, and reintroduce a more assertive enforcement approach under the Trespass to Property Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to help address the public consumption of illegal substances where the safety and well-being of others are at risk. Safer Streets Cobourg is about ensuring people feel safe in our community.” – Chief Paul VandeGraaf, Cobourg Police Service.
Key Elements of the Safer Streets Cobourg Program:
- A continued focus on Warrant Apprehension and Bail Compliance Program and enforcement against illegal drug trafficking
- Continued police presence through early morning and evening foot patrols and enhanced response to mental health calls for service through M-HEART
- Dedicated officers in the afternoon and evening focusing on targeted enforcement and responding to frequent calls for service in high-impact areas including Downtown Cobourg, surrounding area, parks and public spaces throughout Cobourg.
- Enforcement of open-air drug use in parks, sidewalks, and commercial zones within the downtown core and other public spaces throughout Cobourg —officers may arrest and charge individuals observed to be actively using illegal substances in open spaces in alignment with the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the provisions of the new Safer Municipalities Act, 2025
- Launch of the Trespass Authority Agent Program for businesses
- Continued collaboration with Municipal Law Enforcement for by-law enforcement
- Enhanced Crime Prevention Programming
CPS will continue to collect data and adjust the Safer Streets Cobourg program approach as the landscape evolves, and community needs and crime trends shift.
CPS acknowledges that enforcement alone cannot solve the complex and layered challenges currently facing the community. The Safer Streets Cobourg Program will be implemented in close partnership with municipal partners and engagement with local outreach organizations and social agencies.
Visit cobourgpoliceservice.com/safer-streets-cobourg/ to learn more.
Background
Between November 1, 2024, and May 2025, police responded to 1,272 calls for service in the key areas of focus, including Downtown Cobourg, surrounding parks and neighbourhoods. The top five calls for service were for unwanted persons, police assistance, suspicious persons or vehicles, police information, and trespassing. During the same time frame in the same area, officers generated an additional 1,527 proactive calls for service, with the top five call types being property checks, foot patrols, well-being checks, warrants, and M-HEART calls.
With the natural trend of increased calls during the warmer summer months, coupled with an increase in reports from residents and business owners feeling unsafe, and the anticipated release of regulations under the Safer Municipalities Act, CPS developed the Safer Streets Cobourg program to address these concerns effectively.
