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Opioids in Northumberland County – a frontline perspective from Cobourg police

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If you live in Northumberland County, surely there has been a time when you were standing in the sunshine and looked north only to see the dark clouds of a storm. And, you may wonder, it is going to come here or is it just going to pass by. The recent headlines coming out of Peterborough related to the opioid crisis facing that community are shocking. In a single weekend in early June, 13 people overdosed and two died within a 72-hour period. Deputy Chief Timothy Farquharson said in an interview with CBC, he hasn’t seen anything like it in his 33 years in policing. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Consider This Northumberland, Community, Opioids, Police, Policing

Fentanyl deaths quadruple in Cobourg in less than a year, says police chief

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The number of deaths due to fentanyl has quadrupled, while the number of calls to police has doubled in the past year, Chief Kai Liu said during an interview on Consider This Live. These are just calls where the police respond, he added. There are also those cases where people call an ambulance and those are not recorded in the police statistics, he explained. The number of calls up until July was 25 compared to 13 fentanyl calls for all of 2017.  The number of deaths in 2017 was one. By July, it was four. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Consider This Live, Police, Policing

Fighting human trafficking in Northumberland through community initiative, says police

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Human traffickers target children as young as 11- to 15-years old in Northumberland County for prostitution, according to Constable Detective Janice MacDonald, of the Cobourg Police Force. But, a multi-organizational task force is coming together with a $41,000 grant to help youth and parents by becoming better educated, she said. Acting Staff Sergeant Brent Allison said police are cracking down, as well. Listen to the shocking statistics and what is being done, as well as helpful tips to prevent children from being swept up in this growing problem as we discuss this issue on Consider This, part of the Drive Time on Northumberland 89.7 FM. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Consider This Live, Community, Police

Award-winning deputy chief talks about community building from a police perspective

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Cobourg Police Deputy Chief Paul Vandegraaf talks about receiving the Order of Merit of the Police Force from the Governor General of Canada recently. He talks about his grassroots approach to policing and discusses what can be done about policing in America as part of Consider This Live, part of the Drive Time on Northumberland 89.7 FM. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Consider This Live, Police

Remembering former Cobourg Police Chief Dan McDougall

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By Robert Washburn

It was with deep sadness the news of the death of former Cobourg Police Chief Dan McDougall arrived this past week. It would be wrong to say I knew him well because I didn’t. But, he and I had lots of contact when I was a reporter at the Cobourg Daily Star. For the all the years I worked as a reporter, the police beat was mine. So, we regularly crossed paths. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Thinking Out Loud, Police, Policing

Mayor needs to avoid police minefield or proceed with caution

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By Robert Washburn

Cobourg Mayor Gil Brocanier cautiously told a local cable show host last week he is open to discussions with Port Hope around the creation of an amalgamated police force. As Port Hope residents grapple with the recent cutbacks announced by the Port Hope Police Services Board, the Cobourg’s mayor should be extremely careful. Acting on a request by Port Hope Council to make spending cuts, the police board announced it is looking at outsourcing its communications services and it will cut three officers, reducing its force to 23 from 26. Between the closure and the layoffs, 14 jobs will be lost. There are also other changes to the service included in the 10-year strategic plan, including a reduction in hours the police station is open to the public. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Columns, Police