CRIME INCREASES IN FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 2004

COBOURG- Cobourg police are busier than ever as the local drug scene
continues to grow says Police Chief Garry Clement.

"On a Sunday or a Monday morning, our officers are jumping from one break
and enter call to another," says Chief Clement. "These types of crimes are
all tied into drugs. They are not stealing the big-screen televisions. They
are stealing the small stuff they can carry away quickly."

Chief Clement delivered a crime occurrences report for both Cobourg and
Hamilton Township to the Cobourg Police Services Board on Thursday, Sept. 2.
The report compares crime over the first four months of this year compared
to the same time frame last year. Cobourg police have dealt with 1,909
occurrences this year during that time period compared to 1,807 in 2003. In
Hamilton Township, Cobourg police dealt with 409 occurrences compared to the
390 from the year before.

"In my first year (last year) there was a substantial increase from the year
before as there was this year," adds Chief Clement.

From Jan. 1 to April 30, 2004 property crimes increased to 237 from 207 in
2003. Theft under $5,000 crimes rose from 93 in 2003 to 115 in Cobourg.
Meanwhile, in Hamilton Township the same type of crimes doubled from 13 to
26.

Councillor Lloyd Williams, Town protection services co-ordinator, says he
would like Chief Clement's crime occurrence report to highlight the three or
four areas of concern to the police chief.

"What may be of more significance is where the increases occur and not just
the overall increases," says Coun. Williams.

Drug possession and trafficking crimes in Cobourg increased to 26 from 20
and in Hamilton Township those crimes dropped from two to one for the first
four months of this year. Counterfeit money occurrences increased to 45 from
eight for the first months of 2004 in Cobourg.

Chief Clement says his police service can only expect increases in crime and
that is why he made a request last year to hire more officers.