Keep Shelburne Police, or change to OPP

OUR READERS WRITE

As a business owner and Property owner in Shelburne my thoughts are to carefully examine this issue.

Once the Shelburne Police Service is gone our options are gone.  Safety is a high priority for me.

The Small town feeling, the Small town enjoyment, the security of walking down the street at night, Letting your kids ride their bike to the park, enjoy their time at the high school, low crime rate:

All Reasons we have either Stayed here or Moved here.  Each and every one of Shelburne residents and Business owners enjoy this town quiet and serene lifestyle is because of the Shelburne Police Services.

They are on the job, walking the streets, driving around, integrated with their families, living here and working here, involved in community service on their free time, side by side with us at the grocery store.  They work proactively aAt the High School, into the elementary schools, at the evening events, keeping the peace and keeping their presence known, doing Ride checks, Business door checks, surveillance, car door checks, bicycle checks,  are All types of Policing that keeps us safe secure and confident to live happily in our beautiful small town.

Shelburne has grown tremendously in the past 3 or 4 years, and has a lot of growth coming in the next 2 or 3 years.  Now is not the time to lose Our Shelburne Police Services.  It is time to rely on them to help us through the growth and adjust to the growing pains and benefits of a larger population.

The concept of loosing this service is quite disturbing to me.  The large service of the OPP will be a good alternative with a reduced cost at first, but is it.  There will be reduced service, there will be costs to close down the existing service, there will be a consequence of the loss to our small town feel.  Our Home Town will be another satellite to the larger Detachment, Zone 4.  Zone 4 not Shelburne. Remember again why you love it here, “Great small town, safe and friendly” 

What will the next price be, that will be beyond our Councils control, Our control on the budget is given over to the OPP, as they will charge what their budget requires, our services will be affected our costs will rise.  Currently we have our Council with the control on the Budget.

Moving to the OPP Who will do the foot patrol, work at the Schools, the business door checks, car door checks, talking to the kids on the street, community service events etc.  These are all extras not day to day requirements for the OPP as they are now with our Shelburne Police.

Lets hear the OPP proposal, but lets not let a small savings sway our real Priority, Safety day to day.

Proactive Policing : Not Reactive Policing

How can we save our Shelburne Police Service

We all need to come together and let Council Know we will Support them in Keeping the Shelburne Police Service. Please let our Council know you want to Keep Our Shelburne Police Service.  It is an institution that cannot be reinstated  if we don't like the Change to OPP.

A) Post a Paper sign in your Home or Business window, 

B) put a sign on your lawn,  sticker on your car

C) Sign the petitions, that are out around different business

D) Call your Council member,

E) Come out to the meeting at the Town Hall Wednesday March 3, 2019 at 630 pm

(free signs and posters available at McCarthy Signs 110 Centennial Rd Shelburne)

Marg McCarthy

Concerned business owner