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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-05-26, Page 2.$ ALL 12 EXP. , /COLOR NEG.FILMS DEVELOPED `ort,S399 d PRINTED MkM YO R "t FILMDEVELOPING LOW PRICE OR.... REPLACEMENT FILM OSI ALL 20 EXP. /COLOR NEG.FILMS DEVELOPED fog 599. & PR/NTED .ONLY Ann EXP. 14�/COLOR NEG.FILMS DEVELOPED B PRINTED S 99 1 A REPLACEMENT HIM , 1 ALL 20 EXP. 91/COLOR NEG.FILMS DEVELOPED & PR/NTED 699:9t.�,� A REPLACEMENT f/LM00.0 elk PAGE 2—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1977 . olice only as good as public make them • lice week is a good idea but th same efforts to get the community and its police force together should be made 52 weeks a year." Goderich Police Chief Pat King made that comment summing up activities in Goderich in conjunction with National Police Week. King and his department joined the Goderich ° detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police in a special display at the Sun - coast Mall designed to inform people of police duties, ser- vices and aims. "A police department is only as good as the com- munity it serves makes it," said OPP Constable Bill Hassall in a conversation about policing in Huron County. The two comments wereo ,made during conversations about policing in the Goderich area in 1977. OPP constables Bill Hassall and Lorne Carter and Goderich Chief Pat King used police week as an op- portunity to promote the responsibilities of police to ✓ society and vice versa: Hassall and Carter tried to put police work into per- spective by pointing out that to the public it may appear as though the province is divided into areas of responsibility by municipal and provincial forces. Carter said that while the OPP and forces like Goderich appear to the public to be different, the only difference is in dollars and cenfs. He said the larger force obviously works from a larger' financial base but on an officerto officer basis the differences are minimal. He described the efforts of policemen as men working in the "same business" to meet the same goals. Carter said the forces in Canada and the United States work in a very close co-operative fashion that is vital to the public. Without the co-operation between forces, the police would have an almost im- possible task. The co-operation isn't based on a friendship bet- ween officers but on a mutual knowledge that both are doing the same job. Carter said he may work for weeks on a case with an officer in a different.detachment or even a different province and never see the other man. Chief King also stressed the equality of police forces and the services the unified departments can offer the community. He conceded that in the past larger depart-- ments were ,usually better qualified by virtue of the training of their men but pointed out that with the advent of the Ontario Police College in Aylmer that has all changed. TRAINING BETTER NOW "Small town forces are,now on a par with large depart- ments as far as training goes," said King. "But the diversified work the officers on a small force do some. times makes them better all round. police officers than their counterparts on a large force." The chief explained that the services of the Ontario Forensic Science Centre and the men, equipment and services of the Ontario Provincial Police are at the disposal of all small forces in the province, if needed, making them equal in strength to most any force. Combined with that the of- ficers on a small force are forced to work with any and all types of crime and in- vestigation giving them experience in all aspects of police work. "On a large force ydu may have someone who is an expert with fraud cases but wouldn't know where to start with a break and dater said King. "In a small department AN ENTERTAINING IDEA rlP ", Alf rrrIC {�rlI tf(,HWA'1 2 SOUTH (,00fRIC H Discover TH; NEW Eskimo Room the men probably have some experience in both areas." 'Const. Hassall said that quite often officers in smaller detachments of the OPP are able to expand the area of their abilities because they work a small detachment. He said the smaller populations and different lifestyles quite often are reflected in the numbers and types of crimes committed but pointed out that the officer has to have the ability to handle any situation that confronts him. Hassall said that the majority of aeoole.only know officers as men who drive through the community in black and whites (police cruisers) never seeming to stop. lIe said' most people never have any involvement with the police unless it's a traffic offense and it can become quite easy for the police to be an unknown quantity. He said the OPP is in the process of trying to remove that stigma by encouraging the officers in detachments to venture into the community when on and off duty. He said in the Goderich area an of- ficer has been assigned an area and the detachment covers to try to meet -the people and allow them to get to know the police. Const. Carter felt that the officer in the Goderich detachment of the OPP may not face the so called glamorous crimes male familiar through television but pointed out that all in- vestigative ability of an of- ficer must look for paint samples that may be used as evidence. He must be able to School cleanup Paul Spittal gets on the business end of a shovel at the Holmesville Public School as he and Grade 5 and 6 students at the school dig in and plant a garden to spruce up the building for thesummer. The students planted the gardens and trimmed the bushes as part of Citizenship Day activities Friday. (staff -photo) Geography student experience A third year Geography student, Anna Passchier, is gaining experience, while spending fourteen weeks of her summer vacation, working for the Experience 77 'Program, in the Wingham office of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Anna, age 20, resides on a farm near Blyth. She is studying at Western University again this fall for her fourth year. While at Wingham, she is under the supervision of the District Manager W. Dan Mansell. Here at the Ministry of Natural Resources, ac- cording to Joan Hackett, who interviewed Anna, she said "I will be collecting background information and doing research for future land use planning in the Wingham District". She is using "The Southern Ontario Strategic Land Use Plan" text for a guide, which hex,, new outline is to correspond with. Later this information will be Compiled into booklet form. Anna will be in contact with County Planning Depart- ments, and Conservation Authorities. The different areas that Anna will be researching are: Natural Setting, People History, Natural Evaluation, Natural Resource, Development and Use, Services, Problems and Users. Anna is very enthusiastic and feels she is gaining ex- perience in this field of work, even though at times tedious parts occur. 111 K PHARMAcY HOPPERS SQUARE AGctDERICH Dietary and Dietetic Fine Cosmetics Centre " 524-7241 digest information given and look for added information to be put in a clear, concise report that may have to be used in court. I.OTti OF PAPERWORK, "The public sometimes thinks that an officers job ends when he leaves the scene," interjected Hassall. -Before a report goes to the crown quite often an officer puts in 12 to 18 hours of paperwork." Const. Carter said -hat the traffic end of police work has sometimes been made to look a demeaning task but pointed out that it is as important to society's protection as ;pything. He went on to add that a car driven by an im- paired person can be a lethal weapon and said a dead person is a dead person ;whether the death was by shooting or in a traffic mishap. The three officers agreed that no one Yterm could ac- curately convey their im- . pressions.._.of what.. . a .po.lice. officer is but did agree that the job is made a lot easier if the community supports police, They conceded that not all officers Can work well in the community since not all of them have personalities that lend themselves to that work. They .said that some officers -just want to do the job and go home and don't want to he forced to mix Atli the public. "Public relations programs only work as well as the policemen want them to," said Hassall. Chief King said he liked to' stress the use of the word "policemen" when referring to his men rather than law enforcement officer. He said the first term conveys more • of .what his men try to do in the. -community adding that while they give out speeding tickets they are also called on to rescue cats from trees. "Almost 60 per cent of our calls are for some type of assistance," said King. People are locked out of their cars or something like that." Hassall said he knew of some men that took' their job home with them when they got out of uniform but added that not many of them can handle the mental Stress for long and are now in another line of work, He said policemen tend to socialize together and on occasion run into someone they have given a ticket to in the past and feels that now, with a few drinks under his belt, is the time to say what he thinks about that ticket. "Most of them regret it when they sober up," he said. "You've just got to consider where., it comes from and shrug it off or you end up with health problems." The three officers pointed out that public relations efforts in the past are now paying off and the problems police had in the public forum in the 1960s are passing. They said that now the concern is that the police are becoming dehumanized because of cruiser patrols and an effort is being made to get back to the idea of the old beat cop who knows the kids in the neighborhood and they know him. Whether or not the effort is successful is in doubt but what isn't in doubt is that the majority of the men in blue are making an honest effort to serve the community in the best way they know. All they ask is that the community make the same effort for them. RED CR YOUT HURON -MIDDLESEX PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, FUND RAISING DINNER MONDAY, JUNE 6fI CANDLELIGHT RESTAURANT TICKETS'1S.00 PER PERSON Tickets available at Committee Room GRADUATION-& WEDDINq June is the time! We are the place! rE To get Exactly What she or he order? Dresses and Suit by the yard MON. - TUES. - THURS. - SAT. 9:30 - 6:00 61 HAMILTON ST. GODERICH. ONTARIO PHONE 524-7260 FRI. 9:30 - 12:00 WED, 11. ELECT f ANSON McKINLEY A MORE EFFECTIVE VOId FOR HURON -MIDDLESEX "!,think the people of Huron - Middlesex deserve better ... deserve someone who is in the position to make an effective contribution that can benefit us all. With your support on June 9, we can make it happen. McKINLEY BELIEVES a strong Ontario is essential to the future of Canada. McKINLEY BELIEVES farmers want Oat: free to rrlake their decisions basedon good management their resources. McKINLEY BELIEVES the socialistic threat to private initiative poses the greatest threat our province, its economy and its people face today. McKINLEY BELIEVES we must guard against robbing people of the privilege of looking after themselves while maintaining social programs for those unable to maintain themselves. McKINLEY BELIEVES his life -time of ractical farm and business experiencg plus fifteen yearsirr' municipal•govem give him oke knowledge m voice effect ve. . VOTE FOR The man with your future in mind of on mz or vee ggi he eI be me con he %. Pt PICK LI