By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The Sept. 21 incident in which one officer of the Cobourg Police Service was exposed to fentanyl occasioned significant comment from both Chief Paul VandeGraaf and Chair Adam Bureau at this week’s Cobourg Police Services Board meeting.
Both commended the quick action of all involved. As a result, the officer is expected to make a full recovery.
Chief VandeGraaf said it underlines the need for bail reform to address a current situation which “often places front-line officers in a difficult position and undermines public confidence. I will continue to call on the justice system to ensure accountability at every step of the process.”
The past month, he added, was “particularly busy and dynamic month for our service” with several major investigations still ongoing.
“This demands a significant amount of resources and co-ordination across all our units.”
VandeGraaf shared some recent examples, such as the Sept. 5 search warrant based on reports of unregistered long guns. As a result, two were found and multiple firearms charges were laid. On Sept. 11, a second person was arrested and charged in this connection.
There was also an update on the investigation that began July 15, when two masked suspects attacked two individuals with baseball bats and bear spray. One person was arrested the next day, and now a second one has been arrested in Port Hope with the assistance of Port Hope and Belleville police.
Being on the Highway 401 corridor means involvement with Organized Retail Theft, such as the July 29 incident at a downtown business that resulted in the arrest of three Toronto youths.
More recently was the Sept. 4 theft of two lottery tickets from a Division Street gas station. VandeGraaf pointed out that both these incidents were solved within two weeks.
Responding to criticism over the delay in responding to the second incident, he said it had initially been categorized as a shoplifting. They get six to eight such calls daily, he said, and the majority of callers decline to pursue the matter.
“The process takes time and care to ensure accuracy while following the legal guidelines that govern police investigations,” he said.
“It’s not about being first out of the gate to lay the charge.”
Criticism has also circulated about the delay in reporting it, and the chief acknowledged that the way they issue press releases is evolving.
When there was a working press in town, the system of sending one out at a set time every day sufficed. Since the town’s two newspapers folded, however, news is on a round-the-clock schedule. Press releases can go out at any time – though never on a weekend unless it is an urgent matter of public safety.
They are looking at a new model, perhaps involving posting the press releases to their website or offering the opportunity to register to receive them.
“Sexual offences and child exploitation know no bounds,” VandeGraaf went on to say, reporting two significant arrests following separate investigations. In one, a Cobourg man was charged with sexual assault and making explicit material available to minors. In the other, a Cobourg resident was charged with possession of child pornography and four counts of voyeurism.
The Systematic Traffic Enforcement Program for August dealt with intersection safety. They issued 28 tickets and 13 warnings for disobeying a stop sign, seven tickets and one warning for failing to stop at a red light, five tickets and four warnings for driving the wrong way and numerous other tickets for things like failing to stop for emergency vehicles.
In September, the focus shifted to back-to-school safety. Already, they have issued 57 Provincial Offences Notices for speeding.
The Sept. 20 Cram-A-Cruiser was a great success, with donations of $1,900 in cash and 1,970 lb. of food going to the food bank as a result.
The chief also expressed great hope for their new initiative, Let’s Talk Policing, “respectful, honest conversations with our community about the responsibility and realities of policing.”
And between now and November, things might look a little hectic at their headquarters at 107 King St. W., as accessibility upgrades are made, but they will still be open during regular hours.
