HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-05-31, Page 5News
Cops add bike patrol to town
Bikes give
• officers chance
to meet more
people, get
to know
the community
better
By Scott Hilgondorff
Expositor Editor
The image of the friendly
cop on the beat. meeting and
getting to know everyone on
the street is being revived in
Seaforth.
But the beat cop tradition
is being revised. In addition
• to walking the beat, officers
arc now using bicycles to
help put them in touch with
-the community.
"When you drive around in
a police car. pcoplc just see
you through tinted windows
and nobody can talk to you."
said Constable Nigel Tilley. .
In'the past few years,
police services boards have
been putting an emphasis on
increasing police foot patrols.
particularly in downtown
• areas. and now. Seaforth _has
added a bicycle patrol.
"They're old tools of
' policing. hut are being
re%;ived." said Tilley of the.
need for personal contact
with the community.
"It puts a more human face
. on the officer on patrol. than
just having hila sit behind the
glasst in a cruiser." said Dick
Burgess. police services
hoard chair.
"We like police to interact
with the members of the
community." he said, adding
it increases -the range. officers
can go hcyond regular foot
patrols and lets them get into
Contact with people in.-othcr
parts of the town.,
,Tilley•' said a town
Seaforth's size. with about
3.(100 people in the patrol
arca, is suitedto having bike
and foot patrols.. t
"I'in hoping ,los talk to
pcoplc who wouldn't
otherwise get to talk to us,"
said Tilley. •
Sergeant Scan Johnston
said the direction policing.
has gone sees people only
coming into contact with
officers when they are the
Board will h
By Susan Hu rtmark
Expositor Staff
The Avon Maitland District
School Board is writing a
letter to`. the , province.,
opposing `the: proposed.
Education Accountability
Act. trustees decided last
week.
The board decided to
support Bill Huzar. of District
8 of the Ontario Secondary
•School Teachers Association.
who told trustees the act is a•
"direct attack on the right of
teachers to bargain."' .
"The govcrnmeni
obviously.. wants . fewer
teachers to teach more
• students for less money." 'said
Huzar..
He read from a Icttei; by the
president of the Ontario
Public. School Boards'
Association (OPSBA) which
.ays the Education
Accountability Act is an
' unssarranted attack" by the
Scott Hllgendorff photo
Constable Nigel Tilley will be the main officer concluding bike patrols in Seaforth.
victim or perpetrator of a
crime.
Both circumstances lead
people to associate,policc-
with had experiences .while
, check in 'with a dispatcher.
That would tncan stopping at
a home or store to use the
phone, where the officer
- often stopping for a chat.
As technology changed,
more cruisers came available,
greater, distances were
covered by officers and better
communication systems were
developed. That saw officers
gradually begin' spending
'more time in patrol cars than
out in the community.
"TcchiYology almost
allowed us to withdraw
ourselves." said Johnston.
• He said officcrs can't be - as
productive when they don't
have close tics to the
community.
•'Tilley has already htd•a
good response after his first
week on bike patrol, meeting
more people than he ever has
on a regular patrol.
And while the public
the hike patrol. along with
loot patrol, can increase the
• positive daily contact people -
have wit h officers.
"'Policing used to be done
all the time like this. We've
lost the expertise. Now we're
going to try and get it hack."
said fillet'.
. Johnston said 40 years ago,
officers worked under
different systems that saw
them interact with people
more often.
Back then. a' fed light
mounted in.a central part of
town alerted an officer that
he had acall.
That system led to one
where the officer would he
on patrol. often on foot. and
would stop periodically to
e
elp :fight cont
province on the decison-
making •powef of locally -
elected representatives. '
"The Ontario Public School
Boards' Association calls
upon the Minister of
.Education. and the provincial
government to stop this
unending interference in local
democracy." says the letter by
Liz Sandals. of the OPSBA.
The •Ietter.also opposes the
act's proposal 10 allow the
province to intervene and fire
board employees when
boards fail to comply with•thc
government agenda.
including the power to
discipline school hoards and
fine individual trustees.
"The Ontario Public School
Boards' /osocation believes
the government has ailed in a
punitive and arbitrary
manner. in order to
discourage and ultimately.
silence local governance::
says the letter.
As well. Sandals' letter
roversial bill
opposes forcing teachers to
supervise extra -curricular
activities. a practice which
will "further demoralize
educators. not improve the
quality of education."
"Clearly, the government
has again .targeted two groups
in this legislation - teachers
and trustees. One has to ask,
.why us. why now?
Huzar 'said he hopes the
public. understands that the
province'is removing the
responsibility of the. school
. board. adding that anyone.
running for the office of
trustee this fall needs to have
"heart and "be willing to
stand up for the' public
education system."
Trustee Colleen Schenk
proposed that the letter be
sent .and trustee Abby
Armstrong added that the
letter should .echo the
comments of Huzar. •
relations aspect of the patrols
is a focus, Tilley also said
he's still got his ticket book
with him. '
Just becausethey are on
bicycles doesn't mean
officers won't be issuing
tickets for traffic offences or
other violations they see on
• patrol. said Tilley.
Officers from other
detachments have found
people tend not to notice the
-officer on a bike and will run
'stop signs or commit other
violations they otherwise
wouldn't when a cruiser is in
sight.
And Tilley has also heard
stories about how the bikes
have allowed officers to get
close to people committing a
break and enter or other
thefts without seeing the -
officer coming.
Tilley will be Seaforth's
main bike patrol officer with
Constable Charles. Akey also
taking on some patrols.
if/
I',' •
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, May 31, 2000 5
Church
Services .�..
You are t ited to attend
these lama churches ii i
St. Thomas
Anglican Church
Jarvis St Seaforth
Rev. Robert Hiscox 482-7861
ANNIVERSARY SERVICE
of Holy Communion
at 11:15 a.m.
CAVAN:
(Winthrop) 9 30 a m 6
- NORTHSIDE:
(Goderich St.. Seabrth) 11.00 a.m
UNITED CHURCHES
527-2635 uccavns®Ice on ca
Sunday June 4
• Easter 7 Open House at the Manse
Rev. Sheila Macgregor:
Sunday School during
services, nursery provided.
Bethel Bible Church
An Associated Gospel Church
126 Main St Seaforth
SUMMER SUNDAY
WORSHIP
HOUR 10 a.m.
Pastor:Rev. Doug Corriveau
527-0982
Catholic Church
Saturday - 5:15 pm
Si. James Parish. Seatorih
Saturday - 7:15 pm
St. Joseph's Parish. Clinton
Sunday - 9:00'am'
St. Michael's Parish. Blyth
Sunday -.11:00 am "
St. James Parish. Seaforth
- Father Dino Salvador
FIRST
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
59 Goderich St.. W.. Seaforth
Worship at 11:15
Sunday School during worship
NurseryAvailable
Pastor: Rev. N. Vandermey
Egmondville
United Church
Rev. Judith Springet!
-11 a.m. Worship
' Sunday School
Grades 2 to 8, 10 a.m. -
. Nurseryto Grade 1, 11 a.m.
;11
/%/
n':
7q
4,1
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