| Sep 28, 2016


OPP checks in

Staff Sergeant Sharron Brown, Detachment Commander for the OPP Frontenac Detachment, which has overseen the satellite detachment in Sharbot Lake since April 1, 2015, paid a visit to a meeting of Central Frontenac Council that was held at the Piccadilly Hall on Tuesday afternoon, September 27.

She apologised for not bringing information to the township more often, and encouraged the township to set up a Community Policing Advisory Council in order to facilitate more collaboration and information flow between the local police and the township.

She also presented two different sets of information, one concerning crime rates and other statistics over the last year and one about the complicated job of keeping the Sharbot Lake detachment at adequate levels of staffing.

The detachment, which provides service to both Central and North Frontenac, requires a staff complement of nine officers to be fully operational, and with transfers and promotions it has been difficult to get to that level over the last year or so.

Staff Sgt. Brown said that the complement now stands at seven, and two new recruits will be coming after they graduate on February 1, 2017. In the meantime officers from the Frontenac Detachment fill in when necessary.

In terms of crime rates, the numbers do not show a great amount of deviation over the last three years or so.

The most common crimes that the OPP investigate in the township are assaults, break and enters, and thefts.

In terms of traffic charges, there are four categories that are common: speeding, seat belt violations, impaired, and distracted driving. The most common by far is speeding.

Of the data that she provided, she said some of it is “hampered by the fact that I cannot separate out Central Frontenac from North Frontenac and Highway 7.”

Deputy Mayor Bill MacDonald asked if, since South Frontenac has a formal contract with the OPP but Central and North Frontenac only use what is known as “status quo” policing, “would it be a good idea to negotiate a county-wide policing contract?”

“My short answer is to go for it if you want to,” said Brown, but she then said, “From my point of view there is very little difference between the two models any more except for the existence of a police board instead of a policing committee, and any enhancements that a municipality chooses to pay for.”

Until 2012, South Frontenac paid for a community officer as part of its contract, but that position was eliminated when policing costs went up dramatically. Currently there are no enhancements in the South Frontenac contract.

Councilor Victor Heese asked if, since North Frontenac already has a community policing committee in place, “could Central Frontenac combine with them instead of setting up a stand-alone committee?”

“The Policing Act allows for that option,” said Brown.

After she left, Council passed a motion asking staff to bring back options for a new committee.

Councilor Jamie Riddell said that instead of putting two members of council on the committee, it might be best to have one member of council and the fire chief or deputy fire chief.

A report will come to the next meeting on October 11.

Abundant Solar comes calling

Rob Hitchcock, from Abundant Solar, came looking for a motion of support for two 3-acre solar projects it is planning to launch bids for under the Feed-in-Tariff program of the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) of Ontario. The sites are located near the Henderson Road mid-way between Kennebec Lake and the hamlet of Henderson. Township will look to a staff report before considering the applications.

An application by the Wintergreen Co-op will be dealt with in the same manner.  

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