Too good to be true
"If somebody offered you exactly the same service for 36% less why wouldn't you take it?" Very good question, one riddled with incredulity perhaps? We have been warned for years that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Millions of seniors have been swindled and scammed with the same logic. But in this case what makes it worse is that it is the government offering this. "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you!" - the third lie in the trilogy of "the cheque's in the mail".
The question in the first para was asked by one of the two people who spoke in favour of the motion - shall we switch to the OPP. The other twenty odd speakers all spoke against the idea. For various reasons but mainly because of the fear of the unknown level of service that will replace the Cobourg Police Service. Most of the speakers either spoke from experience or quoted the experience of others and were not complimentary to the OPP level of service. Even Inspector Borton the Northumberland detachment Commander chose his words carefully and didn't commit to anything other than all complaints will be answered. The dispatchers spoke about the lack of local knowledge the OPP communications possess and question whether it would improve.
The question in the first para was asked by one of the two people who spoke in favour of the motion - shall we switch to the OPP. The other twenty odd speakers all spoke against the idea. For various reasons but mainly because of the fear of the unknown level of service that will replace the Cobourg Police Service. Most of the speakers either spoke from experience or quoted the experience of others and were not complimentary to the OPP level of service. Even Inspector Borton the Northumberland detachment Commander chose his words carefully and didn't commit to anything other than all complaints will be answered. The dispatchers spoke about the lack of local knowledge the OPP communications possess and question whether it would improve.
4 comments:
I wonder if the reason people aren't up in arms about the almost certainty of losing the local police force is because for most of us, the police just aren't on our radar. Crime is low, so we're not often victims requring the services of the police, and we just don't think about them much.
When we do see them, it's more likely because we've been caught speeding on a town street, so we'd be happy to think that with the OPP,there won't be as many of them around to catch us in our minor little road crimes.
Or does everybody think it's pointless to fight the changes, we can't stop it, so who cares?
It does seem strangely quiet...
The cause of the silence is the "Frink Effect". In the battle over the Frink it became eveident that despite overwhelming public objections, demonstareted by presentations, letters and a giant petion, the Mayor and his cronies had absolutely no intention of taking any notice. So, we don't expect them to take any notice over the police either.
My own feeling is that relative law abiding peace in Cobourg is partially due to having a police force with strong local connections.
I don't beleve that the OPP will lead to any savings, nor will any savings will ever be passed back to residents in the form of tax reductions.
I guess our only hope is to get rid of the local politicians in a few year's time. But is is a pity that local dissent has been driven underground, and that our town will be dismantled while we wait.
What really scares me is that every election we see the same good old boys re-elected, over and over again. I suppose if we can keep Mutton and Frost, and add two more reformer types in the next election, at least they could out vote the old guard.
But as you say, the town is being dismantled in the meantime. Somehow we have to get the non voters to participate as much as the Establishment, who clearly approve of the almost feudal way our Lords currently rule us.
It's very discouraging.
Funny, when cobourg police received a 911 call for a serious accident on harwood road when they were looking after hamilton twp, they dispatched OPP. when opp dispatchers politely told them it was cobourg police area, cobourg police dispatchers argued. So, the OPP went and when cobourg officers arrived they appoligized and were embarrased at their dispatchers. my wife worked at tim hortons and when she called to report damage to the school behind Tim hortons on william street at the "old st.mary's high school" cobourg police promptly dispatched officers to the new high school. she called again and said behind the tims on william street. as she couldn't remember the name of the school. but they never came. it doesn't matter who dispatches, they all make mistakes. as far as people saying the cobourg police are part of their community, why don't you do a poll of how many live in town.... most live outside of town. and many of the OPP live in town and play hockey and volunteer with their kids schools etc in town, just like the cobourg police living in town do. I also don't understand that when you change the colour of the cruiser and the patch on their arms, that all of a sudden they will forget how to police like they always have, oh wait maybe we don't want that. maybe more accountability is what the cobourg police need, when they do something dumb, its not their friend in the office that investigates them, its someone from proffessional standards branch that doesn't want to be your friend, just wants to make sure all officers abide by the law and do what is morally correct and police with honesty and integrity. cobourg police are good, they can do better and will. policeing is way to hard to do on their own anymore. there won't be any problem with response times, and community policing is huge in the opp ask some of the community policing committees in the county, they love the involvement of the opp and it will continue in both towns.
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