In a letter sent by Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland on Thursday, June 26, 2025 he makes it clear that “enough is enough.”
Cleveland comes out stating that the vast majority of the general public are no longer going to accept the type of criminal behaviour in the Cobourg community.
Prior to June 18, 2025, Cleveland said, 310 Division “was a failure of public social policy.”
“We should make Cobourg as hostile a place as possible to criminals all day, every day,” states Cleveland.
The letter from Cleveland is posted below
June 26, 2025
Our recent Cobourg Town Hall regarding 310 Division and Transition House made it very
clear…enough is enough.
The vast, vast majority of the general public are no longer going to accept the criminality, chaos,
and unaccountability. The anger of our citizens is finally being heard and responded to.
310 Division, as it was, prior to Wednesday June 18, 2025, was a failure of public social policy.
What was going on at 310 Division is tantamount to a taxpayer-funded criminal drug den. A “Low
Barrier Shelter” has simply meant a free-for-all.
I voted for the creation of 310 Division as a County Councillor with every good intention. I now
realize the meaning of the old adage, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. I deeply
regret my misguided support.
However, my record, if you will, standing up to the majority of my fellow county councillors,
senior county staff, and drug advocates is 100%, time and time again, clear and undeniable,
often to my own detriment. I am in no way playing the victim but I am being factual.
From judicial reviews launched, to a “weaponized” Integrity Commissioner system, to myriad
personal slanders, it has been the most difficult time I can say I have faced. There were neverending personal antipathies, all because I won’t be silenced and I won’t agree.
This changed, however, on June 18th when all but one of my fellow county councillors voted
collectively to finally make the beginnings of the changes critical for 310 to continue operations.
I thank those councillors for seeing reason.
At the Town Hall, a presenter lashed out at me regarding “Strong Mayor Powers” given to me by
the Province of Ontario, as it has done to the vast majority of mayors. This outburst, I found out
later, was the false narrative around me using those powers to “fire” Chief Paul VandeGraaf or
remove the Cobourg Police Services Board.
Strong Mayor Powers have nothing to do with either of those propositions. So the assertions are wildly unfactual and are actually ludicrous.
This stems from a recent private breakfast meeting I had with the Chief where I expressed my
concern regarding the readiness of the Cobourg Police around provincial Bill 6.
I made my frustrations–and again, those of the vast majority of citizens in Cobourg–clear in this meeting.
The new provincial law, Bill 6, which came into effect in early June, allows for the appropriate
arrest of anyone using criminally designated drugs in public and for the arrests of those who are
criminally trespassing.
I insisted, no, I frankly demanded, appropriate arrests be made whenever anyone, regardless of any reason, is committing acts of criminality.
I believe we should make Cobourg as hostile a place as possible to criminals all day, every day.
I also firmly believe Bill 6 removes any and all impediments to the contrary.
These sentiments are often warped by those who support decriminalizing dangerous narcotics.
Drug addiction, no matter the origin story, does not allow you a “Get out of the Rules of Civil Society” card.
Just like we prosecute to the fullest extent of the law when someone is driving drunk on our public streets or highways, just like we prosecute if an intoxicated person assaults their spouse or children while under the influence of alcohol, we fully expect our law enforcement officers to do just that.
The other ridiculously false narrative is around an attack on the homeless or those who are
socio-economically challenged; utter nonsense and it is offensive.
Cobourg is one of the most generous communities, I would argue, not just in this province, but in this country. By any metric, that is not a grandiose statement, but a true one. This is about criminals and their actions.
To those who advocate for those who commit crimes in Cobourg, I say to you that being cloaked in self-righteousness will never make you actually righteous.
I’m proud of my advocacy on this file; to stand up for what is right…to stand up for the law-abiding citizens of Cobourg.
There will still, I believe, be short term difficulties for long term gains.
I hope this is now the beginning of a new era, where the rights of those who live within the rule of law take precedence over those who do not.
Mayor Lucas Cleveland
Town of Cobourg
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
