New: Facebook has blocked all Canadian news. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop.

New: Facebook has blocked all Canadian news. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop.

Wednesday, 14 June 2017 12:30

OPP Raising Concerns About Boating Safety

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have already investigated three boating fatalities this spring, with the same contributing factors being reported as in previous years.

Two of the three fatal incidents involved capsized canoes. During the third mishap, the vessel sank. Alcohol/drug consumption was involved in two of the incidents. Only one of the three deceased was wearing a life jacket or personal floatation device (PFD) at the time. One victim was a passenger.    

These details are all too common in OPP-investigated boating incidents from year to year.

Last year (2016), 16 vessel operators and seven (7) passengers were killed in 19 boating incidents on OPP-patrolled waterways. Nine (9) of the incidents involved a capsized vessel. Six (6) victims fell overboard. Alcohol consumption was a factor in six (6) occurrences.

Few victims were found to be wearing a life jacket - a statistic that has not changed from year to year. The exception was in 2015 when -- for the first time in more than ten years -- all 18 of the deceased were recovered without life jackets.

Fatal Marine Incidents                
Persons Killed
2016 - 23
2015 - 18

Persons Killed - No PFDs
2016 - 19
2015 - 18

Boaters continue to let their guard down in non-motorized vessels, despite the fact that a significant number of fatal incidents occur in canoes and kayaks every year.  

In May, the OPP is partnered with the Canadian Safe Boating Council to promote safety on the water.  

The OPP is urges boaters to be extra cautious this season in particular, due to high water levels, swift currents and debris creating hazardous boating conditions.  

Whether you are a boat operator or a passenger, consider these facts when heading out on the water in any type of water craft:    

Of the 250 people who have died in OPP-investigated boating incidents during the past ten years (2007 to present), 209 were recovered without a life jacket or PFD (includes not properly worn).

As a passenger on a boat, you have a right to speak up if the operator is endangering your life in some way. If you know or suspect that the driver is impaired by alcohol or drugs, call 9-1-1. By doing so, you could save lives, including your own.

It can take 30 minutes or more for most adults to become even mildly hypothermic in icy waters. If you find yourself in extremely cold water, do not panic and remember that you have some time to make good decisions.

Published in General Interest
Wednesday, 07 June 2017 13:04

OPP Report

On Friday, May 26th, 2017, members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Lanark County detachment and Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB) executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrant on a rural property and residence in the Township of Tay Valley.

Upon execution of the warrant to search, police arrested 6 individuals, 1 individual is still being sought at this time.

A search of the residence and outbuildings revealed an extensive indoor cannabis marihuana grow operation.

Following the completion of the search police seized:

6,139 cannabis marihuana plants at various stages of growth;
182 pounds of dried cannabis marihuana;
630 grams of cannabis resin - oil;
548 grams of cannabis resin - hard;
Sophisticated / industrial size cannabis resin extraction device;
Indoor marihuana growing equipment;
An insecure sawed off semi-automatic shotgun;
Two prohibited Conducted Energy Weapons (Tasers);
Packaging materials;
$1940.00 cash.
 
The following charges were laid against William Kenneth PINTO (61) of Lanark Highlands Twp., Richard MAROVAS (51) of Toronto, ON., John KENNEDY (41) of Central Frontenac Twp., Jacob ISENBERG (31) of Central Frontenac Twp., Richard LITTLE (30) of Newmarket, ON and Frank TEAL (25) of South Frontenac Twp.

Production of a Schedule II Substance - Cannabis Marihuana
Production of a Schedule II Substance - Cannabis Resin
Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Over 3 kgs. - Cannabis Marihuana
Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking 3 kgs. or less - Cannabis Resin
Careless Storage of a Firearm
Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
Possession of a Prohibited Device -Taser

MAROVAS, KENNEDY, ISENBURG, LITTLE and TEAL were released on an Undertaking and Promise to Appear for June 26th, 2017 at the Ontario Court of Justice - Perth, ON.

PINTO was held, pending a bail hearing. PINTO is to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice - Perth on May 30th, 2017 in answer to the charges.

An arrest warrant has been requested for the seventh accused, a 62 year old male from York, Ontario.

If you have any information on illegal drug activities in your community, you are encouraged to call and report it at 1-888-310-1122 or anonymously at Crime Stoppers 1-800-310-1122 (TIPS).

Published in Lanark County

Frontenac Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) today helped launched the 2017 Drive Safe! R.I.D.E Campaign, a Province-wide campaign designed to keep our roadways among the safest in North America. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) is sponsoring the campaign and reminding Ontarians to "Share the Road", with a particular emphasis on the following key areas:

Be aware of Ontario's "Move Over" legislation (which requires motorists to pull over to allow emergency vehicles to get by),
Share the road with cyclists,
Make sure pedestrians are safe, and
Look out for tow truck personnel at collision scenes.

The 2017 Drive Safe! R.I.D.E. Campaign features a booklet with information on what it means to share the road and information from Drive Safe! Campaign partners to help Ontarians make the right choices when it comes to their driving choices.

In 2013, Ontario's injury rate (62.1 per 10, 000 licensed drivers) was the lowest in Canada and the province's fatality rate (0.54 per 10,000 licensed drivers) was the second lowest in all of North America. Yet in 2014, 94 pedestrians died in Ontario due to road accidents and 3,523 pedestrian were injured - 19.5 per cent of all road fatalities for the year and 13.4 per cent of all injuries. When it comes to cyclists, a total of nine fatalities and 1,713 injuries occurred during the same period.

According to Chief Superintendent Chuck Cox (Ontario Provincial Police), Co-Chair of the OACP Traffic Committee, one of the campaign's focus is to make motorists aware of Ontario's "Move Over" law.

Contact: PC Roop Sandhu 613-532-0247 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

As numerous motorcyclists and off-road vehicle enthusiasts plan to hit roads and trails during the Victoria Day weekend, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is pointing out trends that can make these seasonal drivers vulnerable to fatal collisions.

According to OPP traffic data, a significant number of motorcyclists continue to be killed in collisions that are no fault of their own.

In 2016, 10 of the 28 motorcycle drivers killed on OPP-patrolled roads were reportedly not at fault in the crashes that claimed their lives. The previous year painted an even grimmer picture for safe motorcycle drivers, with more than half (14) of the 27 who died in road crashes in 2015 reportedly being not at fault.

In contrast, OPP data reveals a significant number of off-road vehicle (ORV) drivers who continue to contribute to their own demise, with the majority of deaths being directly linked to alcohol/drug impairment and riding without a helmet.

Alcohol/drug impairment was a factor in more than half (13) of the 22 ORV deaths that occurred in OPP jurisdictions last year. While there were fewer ORV fatalities in 2015, six of the 14 deaths that year were attributed to an alcohol/drug-impaired ORV driver.

Further stacking the odds of survival against ORV riders is driving without a helmet. Of the 22 riders who died in incidents last year, nine (9) were not wearing a helmet. Helmets were even scarcer in 2015 incidents, with almost half of (six) of the 14 deceased riders found without one.

The OPP is reminding all drivers, on and off-road, that driving defensively and safely will go a long way toward reducing deaths on Ontario roads and trails.

Day to day policing ‎does not come without inherent risks and in an attempt to curb Suspect Apprehension Pursuits (SAP), the OPP is also launching this long weekend, the Satellite Technology Apprehension Response or STAR Pilot Project.

Three marked front line OPP patrol vehicles have been equipped with a global positioning projectile launching system. When a motorist fails to stop for the OPP, a GPS projectile, once deployed by one of these vehicles attaches to ‎the suspect vehicle and a GPS signal is sent that allows the vehicle to be safely tracked, in real time, by one of the OPP's Provincial Communications Centres. This will allow officers to be constantly updated on the location and whereabouts of the offender and to safely move in and make an arrest, thereby eliminating the need to engage in a suspect apprehension pursuit.

Published in General Interest

On May 16, 2017 at approximately 4:50 pm, Frontenac Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a 911 call regarding a cyclist that was hit by a motor vehicle on Rutledge Road near Georgia Lane in the town of Sydenham, South Frontenac Township.

A black pickup truck collided with the 13 year-old male cyclist. The youth was transported to hospital by ambulance with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The OPP Technical Collison Investigators (TCI) was called on scene to investigate.

Rutledge Road near the scene was closed to traffic for several hours.

The youth was wearing a helmet at the time.

The investigation is continuing.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 10 May 2017 12:22

Final thoughts on the Srigley inquest

The coroners inquest into the death of Robert Srigley took place two weeks ago  in Sharbot Lake. It finally revealing some of the details around the sequence of events that led to his death. The jury that heard all the evidence will be submitting its report, with recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future.

At the time, I wrote that there are some unanswered questions about the case that the public has a right to know. One was what happened when the police arrived, and the second was why only uniformed police responded to what was clearly a mental health crisis for a man who was known to hate the police.

On the whole, the inquest answered those questions. Essentially, when police called out his name, Mr. Srigley ran out of his trailer, picked up what looked like a hunting rifle and aimed it at them. And they shot him. Did they need to shoot him as often as they did? Why did so many of the bullets hit him in the back? These questions were not completely answered, but it was clear the officers who shot him did so to protect each other from a viable threat to their lives. Police are trained to shoot until there is no more threat to themselves or the public, and in an incident that unfolded in seconds it is hard to sit in judgement of the police officer who was in that situation after the fact. And the police testimony at the hearing was credible, and at times poignant.

Police also answered the question about mental health workers, by saying that when there is an incident like this where there is a potential for danger, only they are trained to handle the situation. A mental health worker or team could have been with them as backup but not at the scene. Given the description of events, this is also a credible answer to that question.

From the testimony of Srigley's brother and the one officer on the scene who had met and dealt with him before, it was clear Mr. Srigley was known to social services and mental health services in the region, and going back many years in other locations. Much can be said about the inadequacies of the system, in relation to him, but on that day in July it was too late to address those problems. Mr. Srigley's circumstances had deteriorated to a point of no return and he met a tragic end at the hands of police officers who were doing their job.

But that does not mean that the coroner's inquest was a wholly satisfactory airing of the issues. The first thing I noticed about the inquest was the role of the counsel to the coroner. Since I have never covered an inquest before I can't say if this one was conducted in the normal way, but to my view the counsel, Peter Blaine, was framing a narrative about what happened right from the start and no one challenged that narrative. He had gone through all the reports, knew much of what each witness was going to say, and asked leading questions on a number of occasions, and seemed to be trying to do the jury’s work for them at times, even suggesting wording for the jury to consider in their report and recommendations.

For example, during the testimony of  one of the paramadics who attended at the scene shooting and remained with Srigley until they reached the hospital in Napanee, Blaine asked a leading question. “Did Mr. Srigley say anything about wanting to die during that time. The paramedic said “no, I did not hear him say anything about that” and then Blaine went further. He said that sometimes people who are involved in an intense effort such as attending to  gunshot wounds “are so fixated on what they are doing they don't see or hear anything else.”

“I did not hear him say anything about wanting to die” the Paramedic repeated. When the other paramedic, who drove the ambulance, took the stand, Blaine asked him if he heard Srigley say anything about wanting to die. He said he did not hear much, except “you guys are lousy shots”.

Later in the hearing, at least two of the police officers who testified recalled Srigley saying “just shoot me now” and “I want to die”. As I said before they were very credible witnesses whose accounts were pretty consistent with each others. But why did Mr. Blaine, whose job is to present the facts of the case to the jury, repeatedly push this line. Indeed, he seemed to be pushing pretty hard on a “suicide by police” theory.

Although the OPP  and the OPP Officers Association were represented by lawyers at the hearing, the Srigley family was not. There was no one trying to tease out any details to challenge the dominant narrative, no one poking at any of the loose ends in the testimony

This was not a criminal trial, and was not intended to be a confrontational process, but the supporting witnesses who were called in to explain OPP initiatives as regards mental health and the general tone of the questioning by Mr. Blaine suggested an attempt to make sure that, in the end, the entire matter can be filed away neatly in some cabinet somewhere, never to be referred to again.

Published in Editorials

After two days of testimony in the coroner’s inquest into the death of Robert (Bob) Srigley, who was shot by Ontario Provincial Police Officers (OPP) on July 25/2013 and died 3 days later at Kingston General Hospital, a picture has emerged. It is that of a severely troubled man whose ultimate end resulted from a series of actions and reactions by him, community members concerned about his well-being, and members of the Lanark detachment of the OPP.

Michael Blain, counsel to Coroner Dr. John Carlisle, said on Tuesday (April 25) that the inquest would be wrapping up the next morning, and after receiving instructions from the coroner, the five member jury would be heading to a jury room to confirm their findings and prepare a report on the death.

The testimony commenced on Monday with a detailed account of Mr. Srigley’s life and history of altercations with police from his brother Scott, a police officer himself, who serves with the Guelph police force.

He talked about his brother’s life, going back to childhood, and presented a sequence of events that explained the twists and turns of his brother’s life, and how he came to “hate the blue uniform”.

“I am here as a brother, not a police officer,” Scott Srigley said to the five member jury. “I can't comment on what happened that day. I wasn't there, but when you make your recommendations I think you should consider a few things”.

Srigley then said that his brother’s death, in his mind, came about as the result of a failure of the mental health and welfare systems in Ontario. The police response to the 911 call on July 25/2013 representing only the final moments of a life that had been deteriorating for years. He said that the fact that the Ontario Disability Support system pays a fixed amount of money to every recipient (about $1,000 a month for a single male) made it impossible for his brother to establish a safe living situation on the property he had purchased on the Arden Tamworth Road.

“Rob was living way, way below the poverty line,” he said,

He also said that in the name of protecting his brother’s civil rights, the mental health system made it impossible for his mother and him to get Robert the help he needed.

Finally, he questioned the decision to send a four member team of OPP officers to the 911 call on July 25th.

“If you send a brain surgeon to fix a car, or you send a mechanic into the operating room to do brain surgery, it will not go well,” he said. “For my brother, 4 blue uniforms arriving at that scene was the last thing he needed.”

Srigley went on to say that, at least in urban areas where it is practical, emergency mental health units should accompany police when they attend at mental health emergencies.

“I don't want more and more of these inquests to take place in more and more halls like this,” he said.

In the second day of the hearing, Scott Srigley’s comment about the appropriateness of the police to the 911 call was addressed in detail.

Each of the four officers who responded to the call that day, as well as both of the Paramedics who attended the scene, presented their own version of what transpired at the scene. The OPP officers are Constables Botham, Copp, and Niceliu and Sgt. Monker, all members of the Lanark detachment.

The four officers met up a short distance from Srigley’s property and formulated a plan. Constable Botham had been to the property before and had established a good, but inconsistant relationship with Srigley. He advised the others on the lay of the land at the property. At the inquest, each of the other officers said they had heard about Srigley and were aware that he could be co-operative at times but that he had a tendency toward violence and a hatred of police.

As a video from the scene showed, the property was in a bad state, with garbage strewn about and plastic pails and twisted metal poking out of the ground. Sgt. Monkers was in charge and he gave out the assignments. He was the only officer with the clearance to fire a taser so he carried one. Officer Botham had a rifle, and Officers Copp and Niceliu were carrying fire extinguishers. They all carried standard issue hand guns.

In calls about an hour earlier to his lawyer and to the Frontenac News, both of which resulted in 911 calls, Srigley said he was planning to get into his boat and set himself on fire.

As the officers made their way down the path to Srigley’s trailer, they were not sure if he was even home. They were greeted at first by his dogs, and when they got closer to the door Officer Botham, whose first name is Jody, called out, “Bob, its Jody, are you there, I want to talk to you.”

The door to the trailer opened and Bob Srigley, naked, burst out of the door and headed towards the water, or so it seemed to the officers at first. Officer Niceliu said that he started to head in the direction of Srigley to stop him from getting into his boat, but instead of heading towards the water, Srigley went to a picnic table, turned his back to police, and picked up what looked like a hunting rifle and turned to face the officers.

At that point each of the officers reacted in a different way. Copp, who was furthest away, made his way to a utility trailer near where he was standing, took cover behind it and pulled out his gun. Botham pulled out his police issue rifle, Monker pulled out his taser, and Niceliu dropped the fire extinguisher and pulled out his gun. They called to Srigley to drop the weapon, but Srigley pulled the rifle up and aimed it at the officers. Monkers said that he fired the taser even though he knew he was too far away for it to be of any use.

“I remember thinking, wrong weapon,” he said. Botham took aim with his rifle, and then Niceliu fired twice at Srigley’s upper body.

“From my viewpoint it appeared he was taking dead aim at Sgt. Monkers,” Niceliu said.

A police training officer who gave evidence on the first day of the hearing, explained that police officers in Ontario are trained to always fire at the chest area when they discharge a firearm because it is the easiest part of the body to hit and the most effective way to stop an assailant from being a danger to others.

Niceliu fired again and Srigley fell back and began to head back to his trailer, now pointing his gun to the side at Niceliu. Niceliu and Monkers both fired on him as he ran back to the trailer, hitting him on his side and back. Nine casings were recovered from the scene, and 6 of the bullets hit Srigley, two just grazing him and the other four causing various amounts of damage.

As Srigley fell headfirst on his front stoop, Sgt. Monkers approached, as did the others. Srigley’s hands were cuffed behind his back, and the rifle, which turned out to be a scoped pellet gun and not a hunting rifle, was found on the ground behind him. After searching the trailer and finding it was empty, Officer Niceliu held Bob Srigley’s head up because it was drooping to the side.

In his account, Officer Niceliu said that Srigley remained conscious and in the ten minutes it took for the ambulance to arrive on scene, “he asked me to take out my hand gun and shoot him in the head. He said ‘just kill me but take off the handcuffs first, I don’t want to die with hand cuffs on.’ He kept repeating that.”

Paramedics arrived and attended to the wounds as much as they could. Then with help from the officers they carried Srigley on a stretcher to the vehicle and headed towards Napanee hospital. Two of the officers, Copp and Botham, went in the ambulance with paramedics. Srigley remained conscious throughout the trip. He was transferred to Kingston afterwards and underwent surgery that night. The next day, as his mother and brother arrived, it appeared that he would make a recovery, but instead his condition deteriorated and he died on Sunday, July 28.

Michael Blain asked each of the officers if, in retrospect, they felt the situation could have been better handled by someone other than a police officer given Srigley’s history and state of mind, perhaps a mental health crisis team such as exist in larger centres.

Sgt. Monkers, who was the last to provide evidence, summed up what the others had all said in one way or another: “Only police have the training and the equipment to handle dangerous encounters. In this case there were way too many variables at play for someone without extensive training to deal with. Once we have secured a scene, sure a mental health crisis team can come it, but in this case we knew there was a potential for danger and we needed to try and get to Mr. Srigley before he caused damage to himself and we needed to secure our own safety if necessary, which is what happened. It was the correct response.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

For many years now, food bank volunteers have been joined by OPP auxiliary members and it’s been a mutually beneficial arrangement.

In Sydenham, Verona and Sharbot Lake (like last Saturday), auxiliary officers have brought a police vehicle to a local grocery store (like Mike Dean’s) and joined food bank volunteers to collect foodstuffs and cash donations. They call it Stuff the Cruiser.

“I’m local and my mom’s on the (food bank) committee,” said Aux. Const. Nicole Greenstreet, a veteran of a half-dozen or so Stuff the Cruiser campaigns. “So I know the need.

“Plus it’s a good organization to be supporting that’s vital to the community.”

“I just like to help out with the food drive,” said Aux. Const. Curtis Jacques, who was on his fourth Saturday. “There’s a need and it’s fun to meet people in the community.”

The new kid on the block this week was Steve Scantlebury, a “just retired a week or two ago” local whose wife Barb is also on the food bank committee and suggested he help out. He said he’d be back.

“Any donations of food and/or cash are useful,” said Barb, as the cruiser was starting to fill up. “It looks like we’ll have to take the cruiser over to the food bank and empty it out shortly.

“I just joined last year and we had one time when we had to empty the cruiser out twice.”

“We’ve been blessed with donations that keep us running,” said North Frontenac Food Bank Director Kim Pascal-Cucoch. “The auxiliary OPP officers have helped us collect a lot and they give us a presence.

“This is a wonderful community that supports us on an ongoing basis.”

The food bank, behind the St. Lawrence Employment Centre, accepts donations on a year-round basis.

In every basket they try to add tea bags, instant coffee, sleeve crackers, packaged pasta and jars/cans of sauce, boxed cereal, Kraft Dinner, peanut butter, jam, packaged rice and cans of beans, stew or chunky soup, salmon, tuna, soup, juice and tomatoes.

In baskets for families with children, they add snack pudding or apple sauce cups, fruit cups, granola bars, drink boxes, Rice Krispie squares, hot chocolate packages and canned pasta like Alphagetti or Zoodles.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
Wednesday, 19 April 2017 14:02

Firearms stolen in South Frontenac

The Frontenac Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is investigating a break and enter that occurred at a Snider Road residence in South Frontenac Township.

The investigation revealed that sometime between the 7th of April 2017 and the 14th of April 2017, culprit(s) gained access to the residence and stole a laptop, cellphone as well as several firearms.

Firearms include;
1. Savage Long Range Hunter Riffle with post and scope, .338 caliber, black in colour.
2. Savage Axis Vortex Viper Riffle with a scope, .243 caliber, black in colour.
3. Mossberg 12 -gauge shotgun pump action with scope, a brown wood colour.
4. Winchester Ranger 12-gauge pump action shotgun, a light coloured wood.
5. Savage Lady Hunter Riffle with a scope, .308 caliber, a medium brown wood colour.
6. Rossi British Riffle, .303 caliber, dark brown in colour.

The OPP Forensic Identification Services assisted in the investigation.

The matter is still under investigation.

Anyone with information about this matter is asked to contact the Frontenac OPP Detachment at 613-372-1932 or 1-888-310-1122.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Persons giving tips to Crime Stoppers that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward. Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to Call Display. Your call will stay anonymous and your presence won't be needed in court. Tips can also be sent via text message and e-mail. For more information visit the National Capital Crime Stoppers' website at www.CrimeStoppers.ca.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 19 April 2017 14:13

Unanswered questions in the Srigley case

It’s been almost 4 years since Bob Srigley was shot by police on the porch of his trailer on Arden Road.

We know a few things about what happened, but only a few. He was armed with what the Special Investigations Unit report into his death described as a weapon that appeared to be a “scoped rifle” but turned out to be an air gun.
The report also says the following: “while still holding his rifle, which was pointed at the officers, the man turned around, began walking toward the front porch of his residence, and stopped at the porch stairway. The man did not heed repeated commands to drop his weapon.”

The report does not say what part of Srigley’s body the bullets hit.

While the The SIU report did not say where he was hit or whether his gun was still pointed at police when he was shot, it did say that Mr. Srigley’s actions as soon as police arrived at his house are what really precipitated his death.

“The moment the man ran naked screaming and yelling to the picnic table in his yard and picked up his air rifle - which appeared to be a lethal high powered scoped rifle with a flared barrel - and pointed it at the officers, he initiated the sequence of actions that led to his death,” it says.

A Coroners inquest into this matter will take place in Sharbot Lake starting next Monday. It will not deal with whether anyone should be held accountable for Mr. Srigley’s death. That matter was settled by the SIU and will not be revisited.  

The point of the inquest is to provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about what happened on that hot July afternoon in 2013, to provide clarity for members of the public.

Knowing where the bullets entered Mr. Srigley’s body is something that the public has a right to know.

Aside from that issue, another question arises. Should police have been the only first responders on the scene?

As the SIU report itself indicates, and more of this will hopefully come out during the inquest, Bob Srigley had major issues with the police. He had accused an OPP officer of beating him 18 months before his death, and after an investigation a police investigator from Kingston concluded there was no chance of conviction in the case.  He continued to battle with police, and his own personal demons, in the run up to the confrontation that led to his death.  

The call came in to police on that day because Srigley had threatened to kill himself. Everyone in the local OPP detachment knew Mr. Srigley had major issues, yet they did not call in his social worker or his mental health worker to come with them. That may not have been an option according to the OPP operational protocol of the time, but those protocol’s are changing as the result of investigations into a number of other incidents across the province.

Mr. Srigley was known to social and mental health workers in the area. He contacted this paper many times, often to talk about his issues with the OPP. If the inquiry can look at one issue alone, it would be the response to the 911.

In retrospect it is clear that sending in 6 officers put those officers at risk, and we know what the consequences ultimately were for Mr. Srigley.

We don’t know about the impacts on the officers who responded to the call, particularly to the two who discharged their firearms, but they have also paid and are still be paying a price for a decision to send in law enforcement to deal with the mental breakdown in a man who had professed a violent hatred on for police officers.

We will never know if the outcome of the Srigley case would have been different if a trained crisis worker had been working with the OPP on that day in the summer of 2013.

But we do know a 911 call was made because a man was in need of help, and instead of getting that help he ended up dead.

The matter is of particular interest to The Frontenac News because the 911 call was made from our office.

Published in Editorials
Page 6 of 10
With the participation of the Government of Canada