DRUG COMMITTEE GAINS SUPPORT IN PRINCIPLE

The Community Policing Advisory Committee (CPAC) is supporting, in
principle, a proposed committee that will deal with illegal drugs in
urban centres across the municipality.

CPAC endorsed a community-based committee - that would investigate and
make recommendations regarding drugs - during its meeting on June 28,
said Ward 9 Councillor Sal Polito.

CPAC, which is a committee of council, has a mandate to address
policing concerns in the community. City councillors who sit on the
committee are Faye McGee (Ward 5), Ric McGee (Ward 2), Gerald McGregor
(Ward 15), George Davidson (Ward 4), and John Huke (Ward 3).

Coun. Ric McGee said the vote was unanimous after Coun. McGregor
suggested CPAC support - at least in principle - the new committee.

"I think Coun. Polito has put a great deal of effort into this," he
said. "Any type of initiative to address concerns such as these
deserves more support and investigation."

A drug committee was originally proposed by John Green, an RCMP
officer who lives in the City of Kawartha Lakes. Mr. Green has also
spoken to council, requesting that the City support the committee.

Drug use across the municipality, especially crack cocaine, has been
on the rise recently, Mr. Green told councillors last month.

Coun. McGregor said this week that he recommended supporting a new
"community policing" committee in Lindsay, similar to those already in
other areas such as Fenelon Falls and the former Manvers and Emily
Townships.

Those committees are subcommittees of council, also set up to deal
with policing issues. Councillor McGregor said whether or not the new
committee focused on drugs was up to its members.

"If they want to have a more intense look at the drug situation,
that's fine with me," he said.

Coun. Polito said the new committee's focus would likely remain on
drugs. But he was open to the committee tackling other community
safety issues, he added.

"I'm not opposed to that at all," he said.

The committee might also push for new bylaws to boost safety in the
municipality's urban centres, such as downtown Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and
Fenelon Falls, Coun. Polito added.

"We need...bylaws, in my opinion, for issues of loitering, issues of
vandalism, issues of swarmings, those types of situations," he said.

But the committee would have no real power beyond making
recommendations about drug and safety concerns, he stressed.

CPAC also asked Insp. Gary Couture of the OPP to write a report on the
drug committee.

"We're very much 'pro' community partnerships," said Insp. Couture.
Such a committee might also help bring agencies together to discuss
enforcement issues, he added.

"I'll research a little more and provide a response."

Coun. Polito said about eight or nine people have already expressed
interest in joining the new committee. The next step is to schedule a
meeting to discuss which direction the committee should take.

"We'll see where it goes from there," he said.