Consider This (https://consider-this.ca/tag/police/)
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The number of calls for service for the Cobourg police was down this past year. That is the third year in a row. Yet, the number of incidents related to illegal drugs, like fentanyl, cocaine, and crystal meth, was up. Violent crimes, like people using weapons during an assault, were also up. Cobourg Police Chief Paul Vandegraff will discuss these stats and more this week. Continue Reading →
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Dean Pepper was recently returned as the Cobourg Police Services Board chairperson. That may not seem like big news. Yet, Pepper has served on various boards and committees overseeing policing for more than 30 years. That is a long time. He was on the Protection Services Committee back in the 1980s and 1990s when he was a member of the Cobourg council. Continue Reading →
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There are activists in our community who hope to bring to our attention issues they feel are significant. It is a vital part of our community if we hope to see and understand others who live in Northumberland. Recently, one such group wants to focus our attention. The Trans Day of Remembrance took place this Saturday at the Cobourg Police Station and Victoria Hall. It will commemorate those who have died due to violence and bigotry against trans people. It is the sixth time a local vigil has been held. Continue Reading →
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Around 30 years ago, a new cadet on the Durham Region police force got an idea. He would organize a basketball game and slam dunk contest for high school kids. They would be divided up into two teams – east and west. Each school would send its top players. The winners would get to go to see the Chicago Bulls game. Continue Reading →
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So, what do you think about the Cobourg police service? Well, now is your chance to tell them. A survey is underway until the end of the month to give your opinion. It will help guide the formation of the next strategic plan for the cops. But besides talking about that, Chief Paul Vandegraaf will talk about some other pressing issues. Continue Reading →
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For the past few weeks, Cobourg Police officers have charged protesters in front of Victoria Hall as they gather to defy provincial stay-at-home orders and other regulations to deliver their anti-pandemic message. For some in the community, there is a sigh of relief as concerns over the spread of COVID-19 and its variants have escalated in Northumberland. There are those who ask why this was not done sooner. Yet, there are others who raise concerns about the rights of people to express their views and gather peacefully. The laying of charges was such a major change in the approach by the police, a press conference was held last week to explain what was going on. Continue Reading →
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Imagine for a moment: every security camera in Cobourg, keeping an eye out for criminal activity. This is not just the cameras in ATMs at banks or systems in businesses along King Street. This is a store security camera at Wal-Mart, a camera scanning the Yacht Club storage, and, get this, every doorbell camera in the town. That’s right – the security cameras are located in people’s doorbells. It is known as a security mesh video system. Continue Reading →
Charges of racism and police violence have renewed calls in Canada for frontline officers to wear body cameras. The debate is taking place across the country. From the RCMP to Toronto’s police, Indigenous groups and Black Lives Matters are calling for officers to wear video recording devices on their chests. The longtime debate over the need to wear body cameras is coming to Cobourg. As part of its technology and innovation strategy, the Police Services Board wants your opinion. Continue Reading →
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The death of George Floyd, the 46-year old man who died while in the custody in the Minneapolis police, became a lightning rod for intense debate. Even in Northumberland County, there were protests held to draw attention to the issues of unfair treatment of Indigenous and Black people, as well as other minorities. Out of these concerns, other discussions have emerged, reflected both globally and locally. Today’s show will try to explore two of those. One of the major issues coming out of the Floyd demonstrations centres around police defunding, which grew out of a larger protest against police brutality. Continue Reading →
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So, for our first show of 2020, it seemed like a good idea to revisit one of the more significant stories in Northumberland: the ongoing battle with drugs across the county. Following a number of key arrests over the past few months, plus a shocking announcement regarding a more deadly form of drug suspected to be in our region, it is appropriate to talk once more about the state of the opioid situation and some of the developing issues that have come forward since July when we began examining what was going on. Certainly, a lot has happened and there is a more vocal public debate taking place since then. Back in July, then Deputy Chief Paul Vandegraff sat in this same chair across from me and we talked about opioids. It was the first of a series of interviews done by Consider This around the emerging situation. Continue Reading →
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