HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-07-12, Page 6Page 6 July 12, 2006 • The Huron Expositor
News
Huron -Perth Crimestoppers office moving
to Seaforth as two OPP programs amalgamate
Jeff H e u e h e r t
Seaforth will soon be home to the
new Huron -Perth Crimestoppers
office.
The announcement comes after
the OPP decided to amalgamate the
two counties' Crimestoppers offic€s,
which have worked separately since
the program's inception, 18 years
ago.
According to the supervisor for the
Huron County Crimestoppers Sgt.
Shawn Johnson, the process of join-
ing the two Crimestoppers offices -
together really took off following a
work -load analysis on the two
offices, that found both were dealing
with similar concerns in their com-
munities.
"We saw a trend in the kinds of
calls both offices were getting.
There were a lot of redundancies,"
says Johnson, pointing to theft and
information concerning drug use
and suspicious locations, as the two
most common issues addressed.
One of the benefits to creating one
Crimestoppers office, says Johnson,
is it will cut back on, what is now
being seen as unnecessary costs.
"Each Crimestoppers office has a
fax machine, computer and the coor-
dinator has a cellphone, pager and
laptop. Not to mention their
salaries," he says.
"Now, our direct operating costs
are going to be cut in half."
And, maybe best of all, says
Johnson, it will "put one more com-
munity officer on the road instead of
in an office."
Johnson says the OPP ran it test
pilot back in May when the
Crimestoppers coordinator for Perth
County retired. Since then, they've
been using only one coordinator,
rotating between the two locations.
190 Thames .Rd. E.,
Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S3
Tel: (519) 235-1652
Toll Free: 1-866-285-5516
Fax: (519) 235-2543
111111111111
MINIS • Hardwoods • Laminates
1111111111 • Ceramics • Carpets • Vinyls
• FREE ESTI
• CERTIFIED
PROFESSIONAL
INSTALLATIONS
"We have been very alert and will take calls from the two counties
making sure no services will be and be in direct contact with the
jeopardized, and there's been no Huron and Perth OPP offices. But,
indicator that that's going to hap- the coordinator will still report back
to a board of directors in each coun-
ty.
Johnson says by
locating the office in
'We saw a trend a central town, it has
in,the kinds of opened up the num-
ber of .candidates for
calls both the position, for
offices were
pen," he says.
Seaforth was chosen
as the location because
the town itself is just
about in the centre,
geographically, of the
two counties, says
Johnson.
"Looking at mileage,
Seaforth is almost cen-
tral to everything, and
it has major arteries
running through it," he
says.
"We can easily go
north, south, east, west
and everywhere in
between."
which he adds, the
OPP are in the mid -
getting. There dle of interviewing.
were a lot of Johnson notes that
while the coordinator
redundancies,-- will be in Seaforth
Sgt. Shawn Johnson, most of the time,
supervisor there will still be
plenty of times he'll
of Huron County be out.
And, the existing,Crime Stoppers Johnson says the
Huron OPP office on . ," police are only part of
Seaforth's Main Street, what makes
will provide all of the space neces- Crimestoppers work; and he hopes
sary. the community will continue to
"We were looking at what would show their support towards the pro-
be best for the community and we gram.
believe having a store -front office is Johnson expects the coordinator '
best," he says, adding, "having a position to be filled and have he or •
van out front will bring a safer feel- she working at the Main Street
ing to the community." building by early September.
From the office, the coordinator
Councillors want totals
on tourism booth, flowers
A Huron East councillor wants
some explanation about how much
money is being spent on the tourism
booths in Seaforth and Brussels.
Grey Coun. Mark Beaven asked
council during its July 4 meeting
whether or not the limit of $3,000
had been surpassed when funding
the two tourism booths in Huron
East.
"We were clear we were willing to
spend $3,000," he said.
Beaven said he noticed two people
were hired to run the booth in
Brussels and asked for a report on
the amount spent.
"I'd like a report back because to
me, this is getting out of hand," he
said.
Tuckersmith Coun. Larry
McGrath said he also wants to see a
report about how much is being sent
on the Communities in Bloom pro-
ject.
"Our community does look nice
but every week we see a cost for
signs and flowers and I'd like a final
tally to see how much this costs," he
said.
By Susan Hundertmark
orace a
Alberta Job Market Connections
Finding People...
Greet Jobs!
wwwworkwest .ca