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The Huron Expositor, 1995-11-01, Page 7COMING SOON... Check Your Huron Ex. ositor November 8th Your Community Seaforth • Clinton • Mitchell Nu, • • AB1• • t* •� • • \'.\ • • • • w • • • • .08 Featuring... Easy to read large print Emergency numbers & municipal services Slocal businesses Postal codes Listings include... v Aubum dcyfloldBlyth Brussels Clinton Dublin Ooderlch Hensoli Klrkton Mitchell Monkton Sea$orth Sebringvlle MAD • and much morel HONE BOOK Featuring Easy to ready large print •Emergency numbers and municipal services •Local businesses...offering you their services •Postal codes for the area •And so much more For Extra Copies drop in to... fi; • 100 Main Street, Seaforth -• 527-0240 News and Views Police service offers more than force BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff The term police force is pass& in this day and age ac- cording to Sgt. Martin Brown. Today the proper term is police service. "As a police service we offer far more than force," cautions the Ontario Provincial Police West Region Community Ser- vices Co-ordinator. It's all part and parcel of the OPP's community policing initiative which began in the late 1980s. "I used to tell recruits when I trained them that the only thing that's black and white on this job is the cruiser, everything else is grey and open to interpretation," says Sgt. Brown, stationed in Mt. Forest. "Well they changed the cars to all white and I can't say that anymore." Police work has advanced beyond the days of cops and robbers, good guys and bad guys. "Too many times persons in conflict with the law can't really be characterized as bad guys necessarily. And it is not always possible to characterize others as good guys either," Sgt. Brown says. Community policing isn't easily defined as one thing or a specific activity. "It has been equated with things such as foot patrols, neighborhood watch, citizen's committees, volunteerism and all types of things of that nature. In truth, as far as the OPP is concerned community policing is far more than that. Community policing is a way of doing business. It involves every aspect of what we do. We use volunteers, we use foot patrols, we use all of these other things I listed off, but in truth it's an attitude. or a philosophy." INSP. BARANOSKI ROWDIES Take for instance the problem of rowdyism on the streets' which plagues both Ontario's cities and rural areas these days. "The policing fix, in years gone by would be to put ad- ditional patrols on the street and tell these people to get off the street. That's not the way of things today," Sgt. Brown says. The OPP now establishes community committees, as they will in Seaforth, to identify issues, propose solutions, see if they can identify agencies for networking or a means of resolution. "A community committee would identify that there is a problem. They would then sit down to identify why. What are the causes? Who is in- volved? Whht are the age groups? What are the back- grounds? Why are they there? These are the sort of things they would tackle and struggle with. "Why are these people gathering there? What are the common denominators? What can we as a community do to relive the problems or to prevent the circumstances that lead to rowdyism and van- dalism so that it doesn't become a police matter? "If there are solutions do they involve the police? If so, in- volve them. It might be that some patrol is required. It might be an alcohol factor from an establishment or residence in the arca. "But there might be other problems too," he continues, 'such as, is their some kind of resource centre for these people to go to? Are they gathering at some place that can be moved? Is it a series of park benches that are the focal point? Can they be moved to somewhere where the sound . wouldn't bother other people? Is it' a matter of lighting? "There aremany other issues in the community that can be looked at in terms of the problem of rowdyism. It's not jut run in atd,slap some en - A FORMER CHIEF HONOURED - Former Seaforth Police Chief Hal Claus, and all five members of the old municipal force, were presented with tokens of esteem at switch -over ceremonies Monday night. The former Chief was swqm in as a senior constable with the Goderich detachment of the OPP. forcement on them." COMPUTERIZATION The OPP community services co-ordinator says paper reports in the main have gone the way of the dodo, and computers have made it easier to retrieve information both within and between detachments across Ontario. Continued on page 15 Town switched from OPP in '57 • Seaforth officially switched from a municipal force to the OPP Monday night. The town switched the other way, from OPP to municipal, back in October of 1957. • The OPP itself is in the midst of an administrative restruc- turing, converting from 16 districts, each with its own head- quarters, to six regions. • Seaforth is now part of the Goderich detachment of the West region of the OPP, which has its headquarters in London.. • This West region of southern Ontario, roughly runs west of a line from Cayuga/Brantford and north to Meaford. • The other live new regions of the OPP are Central, Orillia and Pcterbourough area; Greater Toronto; East, Kingston/Brockville/Perth; North West, Kenoraf hunder Bay; North East, Sudbury. • The Goderich detachment of the OPP is responsible for patrolling the entire southern half of Huron County, an area that runs roughly from Amberlce in the north, south of Bayfield to almost St. Joseph across to Kippen, up through the Tuckersmith . Township boundary, through Seaforth to the McKillop boundary near Walton (County Road 25). • The commander in each OPP detachment is the Staff Sergeant, who is responsible for all staff at all locations within the detachment's jurisdiction. Staff Sgt. Brian Baldwin is the Commander of the Godcrich detachment. • Directly under the Staff Sergeant at each detachment are the Sergeants, who arc working officers and also team leaders, required to provide guidance and assistance to constables during their investigations, to supervise, motivate and identify training needs. The Goderich detachment has three Sergeants: Sgt. Prank'Young, Sgt. Jeff Thylor and Sgt. Rick Hiuser. Sgt. Young is at present also the Acting Chief of the Clinton police. • Right now the Godcrich detachment of the OPP has 22 constables, a part-time constable, two full-time secretaries, one full-time custodian and one half-time custodian. STAFF SGT. BALDWIN VH►'WRON VtPO$IT011. Novso* t 1, 1108-7 CHRIS LITTLE and CHERYL MASSON are pleased to announce that DAVID REID B.A., LLB. b joining their Exeter Law Praedce. David is an experienced Criminal, Fanlily and Civil Litigation Lawyer whose will ensure that we may continue to provide complete legal service to the community. LITTLE & ASSOCIATES LAWYERS 71 Main Street N., Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S3 235-0670 Fax 235-1603 HELP* Our Earth by Disposing of I lousehold llazardous Waste the Proper Way! 1 leasehold 1 tazardous Waste Days give you an opportunity to clear potentially dangerous • waste out of your hums, and protect our environment at the sante time. Residents that participate in the Blucwatcr Recycling Association program may bring their hazardous products to the llensnll Public Work' Yard mi November 11 front !Dant to 2pnn where it will he collected and distributed by trained professionals. This is a free event. When you use hazardous products, you use them carefully. When you don't need the products anymore, you should dispose of thcut.jusi as carefully. In every home there are products that require special care. You will recognize them by these warning symbols. '1'OX IC • Pesticides • Rat Poison • Pharmaceuticals • ('leaning fluids REACTIVE • Pool Chemicals • Ammonia • • bleach • Aerosols FLA MMAIILE • Paints, Solvents • Oils, Gasoline • I111Q Starter • Propane Cylinders CORROSIVE • Batteries • Drain Cleaners . • Oven Cleaners * Allot! High Efficiency Low Price project by the Itluewatcr Recycling Association. 1.'