The Cobourg Police Service has received $200,000 from the Ontario government to install and expand closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems in areas where gun and gang violence and other criminal activity are prevalent.
On Friday, Nov. 27, Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones was joined by Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini in Cobourg to make the announcement in front of the Venture13 building.
The money is part of the Ontario CCTV grant, a government program to provide $6 million over three years to 18 police services across Ontario, to help better detect and investigate criminal activity.
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“It is important we equip our front-line police officers with the technology they need to remain one step ahead of those who would commit crimes in our communities,” said MPP David Piccini. “Incorporating closed-circuit television systems will help Cobourg police better detect and prevent criminal activity from permeating into our community. I appreciate the leadership and forward-thinking approach taken by Chief [Paul] VandeGraaf and the Cobourg Police Service, for their work keeping our community safe, and for always looking for new and innovative ways to improve public safety.”
“We have an obligation to the residents of Cobourg to keep our streets safe and to ensure our community can recover from the impacts of COVID-19 without the fear of crime,” said Cobourg Mayor John Henderson.
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Cobourg police chief Paul VandeGraaf said the money comes in line with an existing project, the V13 Policetech Accelerator. The accelerator is a partnership between Cobourg police and Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) to create a “scalable mesh video network” that is the first of its kind in Canada.
“Through the V13 Policetech Accelerator we have the ability in-house to connect, create, augment and accelerate new concepts for innovation in community safety and smart policing,” said executive director of Northumberland CFDC Wendy Curtis.
“We are excited to see this investment from the province of Ontario which will allow Cobourg police to transform the foundation for community safety,” said VandeGraaf.
