Letter to the Editor – Why Policing in Cobourg Needs a Reset
Editor’s Note – Today’s Northumberland received this Letter to the Editor on September 24, 2025.
In mid-August, I submitted a Letter to the Editor to Today’s Northumberland titled “Cobourg Police – A Broken System In a ‘Feel Good Town’.”
I anticipated it would stir conversation and it certainly has. Since its publication, I’ve been approached by friends, neighbours, and community members who not only thanked me for speaking up but expressed the same growing sentiment: a complete lack of confidence In the Cobourg Police Service.
Browsing social media confirmed what I was already hearing on the ground. Residents are increasingly frustrated by the lack of meaningful service. What surprised me less, however, was the dismissive response from both the CPS Board and the Chief of Police.
On August 21, 2025, the Chair of the CPS Board gave a video interview to Today’s Northumberland, intended to provide clarity and increase transparency. What we got instead was political deflection.
Faced with legitimate public questions, the Chair defaulted to vague responses like “It’s operational, I can’t discuss” that or “you’ll have to ask the Chief.”
This interview made it clear, this is a Board that dodges and does not lead.
Even more concerning was the claim that downtown Cobourg is now “80 to 90% safer.”
This is hard to reconcile with what residents actually see: a growing homeless encampment in Victoria Park, a string of random bear spray attacks, open drug use, rising property and violent crime, and traffic lawlessness, including motorcycles speeding through pedestrian areas and large volumes of cars traveling in the wrong direction on one-way roads.
The tone-deaf nature of the interview suggested a Chair more interested in showmanship than accountability, while seemingly echoing the Chief’s talking points rather than holding the Service to account.
At the Board’s monthly meeting on August 27, the Chief surprisingly responded to my letter with a written statement.
He appeared to sound challenging as he resorted to buzzwords such as “misinformation” and “disinformation” without addressing the core issues raised. These terms, used increasingly to silence criticism, were never properly defined.
It’s not just citizens who are speaking up. A letter purportedly written by a staff member at CPS and circulated anonymously in late 2024 outlines serious allegations of internal dysfunction, favoritism, and a lack of leadership at the service. It describes a workplace dominated by a small, influential group whose control goes largely unchecked, while upper management is portrayed as ineffective and increasingly disconnected. The letter paints a picture of a toxic culture where sexism, racism and “cronyism” is described as routine, contributing to low morale and a wave of officers leaving for other police services.
Despite these concerns, CPS leadership has reportedly responded with public relations strategies and outright dismissal, rather than meaningful introspection or reform.
The Chair also dismissed the idea of replacing CPS with the OPP.
It’s not surprising, such a shift could threaten the current leadership’s comfortable positions. But what’s being forgotten is that October 2025 is an election year in Cobourg. Voters may choose to prioritize results over reputation, and bring in new leadership ready to ask hard questions, including whether the CPS is the right service for the town.
Unlike CPS, the OPP already operates within Cobourg boundaries, already has a fully functioning detachment, and offers specialized units like K9, forensics, and tactical teams, resources CPS lacks and often borrows from outside agencies. Switching could eliminate the need for expensive expansions like a new police station or a fully funded in-house K9 unit, which carries substantial long-term costs such as the purchase of a dog, training, vet bills, and a specialized police vehicle.
For those unfamiliar with my background: I moved to Cobourg in 2020 after working in the GTA in civil litigation, closely interacting with multiple police agencies. I have a clear understanding of what effective policing looks like.
Cobourg’s quality of life has declined noticeably in just five years. Crime is up. Property values are down.
Houses for sale have remained on the market for much longer than expected due to the fact potential buyers don’t want to invest in a small town with big problems. CPS’s vision statement: “to be an adaptive and trusted community partner in protecting the safety, security and quality of life in the Town of Cobourg”, unfortunately now rings hollow for many of us.
In a previous Letter to the Editor, I raised concerns about potential misappropriation of funds within the police service’s MHEART unit. Specifically, funding that was earmarked for the purchase of a specialized vehicle intended to enhance mental health crisis response. Instead of acquiring the designated vehicle, the service reportedly used the funds to bypass standard procurement procedures and purchased a stealth vehicle. In response, the Chief stated at a following Police Services Board meeting that the decision was made at the request of Northumberland Hills Hospital, a funding partner in the program.
Instead of selecting a discreet, unmarked vehicle as requested by NHH, CPS chose a blacked-out Dodge Durango with tinted windows, a ram bar, and visible emergency lights. It looks more like a SWAT vehicle than a mental health response unit, undermining the very purpose it was meant to serve. The Chief claimed the purpose of the vehicle is to minimize the stigma associated with mental health related calls.
Well then, I ask why are similar vehicles used in other police services so clearly marked. Just take a look at Peterborough, Toronto, Durham, Peel etc. With his logic, ambulances should also adopt a stealth appearance. Surely, they possess similar stigmas when they respond to the same calls.
Even more questionable is the Service’s use of civilian vehicles funded by the tax payer.
Why do the Chief, Deputy Chief, and every detective receive a civilian vehicle, complete with free gas from town pumps for both work and personal use. While undercover or administrative vehicles are not uncommon in policing, personal use at taxpayer expense especially during an economic crunch raises valid concerns.
Additional concerns include the use of a black minivan; an administrative vehicle used to transport Special Constables between the station and the courthouse that is equipped with heavily tinted windows on all sides, including the front windows. This raises a troubling question: how can law enforcement justify issuing tickets to citizens for illegal window tints when one of their own vehicles appears to violate the same traffic laws? At best, it’s a double standard. At worst, it’s blatant hypocrisy.
But I will say this: leadership, real leadership, means being open to criticism, willing to reflect, and ready to adapt. Attributes that the current leadership apparently do not possess.
In my view, this town needs a police service that takes street-level crime as seriously as it does traffic violations against hard-working citizens. Instead of investing time in initiatives like STEP which increasingly seem like performative efforts to generate feel-good statistics; resources should be directed toward actually addressing the root problems in our community. What we get instead are more PR videos, while real issues are ignored. Cobourg doesn’t need more PR spin or superficial displays of engagement. It needs a leadership team that’s willing to walk the beat and not just post videos of them buying beets.
It’s time for the CPS leadership and the Board to humble themselves, face the realities in front of them, and ask the hard question: Are we truly serving Cobourg? Or just serving ourselves?
Cobourg deserves better. The question now is: will we demand it?
R.L. Fournier
Change My Mind CPS
Chair of the Cobourg Police Services Board Adam Bureau
The letter reminds me of the last one Mr. Fournier has sent, and it also has a lot of the same information as the anonymous letter.
Obviously, you know I cannot comment about identifiable individuals to the media or the public.
With his last letter, we went over it in detail during the police board meeting.
If Mr. Fournier would like to make a complaint about the police or any officer.
There is a complaint process with LECA.
Thank you and if you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
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