The Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-11-04, Page 3Commn!iy News
short term detention at centre not a
local issue DeGrandis telis Com..ssion
BY LOU -ANN DE BRUYN
Carl DeGrandis, superintendent of
Bluewater Centre for Young Offenders,
met Friday with the Goderich Police Com-
mission to discuss short term detention at
the Centre.
For the past six months, the commission
has discussed the possibility of using the
Centre as a short term holding facility for
youths remanded in custody instead of
transporting them to London for overnight
detention, a trip which costs the police
department time and money. DeGrandis
was asked to attend Friday's commission
meeting to state his opinions on the
matter.
"Basically, my response is ... the paper
has been painting the institution as a
stumbling block. It is not a matter of local
issue' or for the local superintendent to
decide. My position is clear in terms of
any comments I've made. It's an alley I
don't want to go down for many. reasons,'
De Grandis told the commissioners.
"We would need to set up separate staff,
procedures and a unit to operate a deten-
tion type setting. This is true if there is on -
1•y one, two, three, four or a dozen," he ex-
plained. While the Centre is a detention in-
stitution for 120 young offenders, it has
privileges and programs which could not
be offered to remanded youths detained at
the Centre overnight, he added.
If the Centre was opened up to the
Goderich Police Department for short
term detention of youths remanded in
custody, DeGrandis felt more requests
would be made by area municipalities.
"Opening up this • for Goderich ... it
wouldn't be to long before Clinton.,
Wingham, etcetera would want to use it,"
he said.
DeGrandis again stipulated that the
matter was not a decision for him to make.
"It really is not a local decision, It really
is a policy of province -wide decision."
Mayor Eileen Palmer, chairperson of
the corrunission, explained to DeGrandis
that the board was not looking at using the
Centre for extended periods of detention.
"It would appear to me that you're look -
POLICE NEWS
Ifliiflf�'
ing at longer stays than what we have in
mind," she said. "The commission is look-
ing at overnight stays as opposed to long
term."
Goderich Police Chief Patrick King ex-
plained youths remanded in custody are
usually taken to London for overnight
detention. If the weather is inclement, the
youths can be held at the local department
but must be watched by an on -duty officer.
"It costs overtime but it usually costs
overtime to have an officer go to London to
pick up the youth for a court appearance.
But, as I understood it (from earlier talks
with DeGrandis), you wre sympathetic to
overnight stays," Chief King said.
"In terms of inclement weather, we cer-
tainly wouldn't put anyone in danger,"
DeGrandis responded.
Chief King said he felt the Centre could
accomodate short term (overnight) deten-
tion of youths remanded in custody until a
court appearance.
"It certainly is a facility that could ac-
comodate what it is designed for as well as
short term. The common 'sense would
seem to be to keep a person there over-
night and not for a long period of time ...
just for a short period."
DeGrandis re -iterated that he felt that
issue had been discussed in prier meetings
as long term adding, "A detention pro-
gram of any kind requires that documents
and records be undertaken different from
the present as well as requiring different
housing separate from the other residents.
You wouldstill have to do things in a legal-
ly documented procedeure and this would
require training."
Chief King noted when the discussion of
establishing a centre for young offenders
in Goderich began, "a gentleman did say
there would be a facility there for such
purposes (short term detention).
Although DeGrandis this may have been
said at the time since two different
ministries were then involved in
establishing the institution, he noted the in-
stitution is now under the control of the
Ministry of Correctional Services.
DeGrandis also explained that currently
the Centre does not have holding cells of
their own. "Holding cells are being built
now as part of the renovation process and
should be finished next May or June," he
said.
The Goderich Police Commission also
received a letter from V.J. Crew, regional
director ( Western Region) of the Ministry
of Correctional Services, concerning the
matter. ,In his letter he said, "We felt it
would be helpful for you to know that first-
ly the Bluewater Centre is not legally
designated as a place of temporary deten-
tion for young offenders awaiting trial and
it is not within Mr. DeGi midis' authority to
accede to such a request. In addition, the
Bluewater Centre does not currently have
the physical facilities or staffing resources
which would be required to provide such a
service.
"As you will know, the Bluewater Centre
is currently undergoing major physical
renovation to prepare it to provide co-
ordinated long term rehabilitating care
and treatment programs to young of-
fenders who are serving sentences impos-
ed by the Court and it is not in the
Ministry's current plan or policy position
to provide a remand or temporary deten-
tion. capability at Bluewater."
DeGrandis noted Mr. Crew would have
attended Friday's meeting had he not
already been committed to a halfway
house opening in Chatham. However, "I'd
be glad to tell Mr. Crew the issue as stated
by Chief King to give him a chance to mull
it around and see what he wishes to pur-
sue," DeGrandis said e
The commission felt a meeting regar-
ding short term detention at the Centre
was needed with Mr. Crew and Mr.
DeGrandis. It was deckled Mr. DeGrandis
would be contacted about the next police
commission meeting and he would then
contact and arrange for Mr. Crew to at-
tend to discuss the matter.
Funds will cover restoration and
redecoration costs of two county schools
Huron County Board of Education's in-
surers presented an advance payment of
8500,000 to Superintendent of Operations
Paul Carroll at the October meeting of the
board in Clinton to cover restoration and
redecoration of two county schools after
they were damaged by fire late last
summer..
Representatives of the Frank Cowan
Company also advised the• board provisions
have been made to set aside $1.7 million for
cleanup and repairs to Exeter Public School
and Usborne Central•School near Exeter: No
firm estimate of total ' damages to the
rchools was given, however.
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EDUCATION
The board learned that six primary
classrooms and the gymnasium at Exeter
Public School will be occupied again by Oc-
tober 16. The library and staff room will -be
in use again about 10 days later.
It is not known just how long it will be
before the remainder of the Exeter school is
restored and ready for use by the students.
Much of the work has included cleaning
and deodorizing. salvaged books and equip-
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987 PAGE 3
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