To the Editors,
Myself, like many residents, have expressed serious concerns over the steady decline of OPP patrols and protection throughout the county.
We used to see an OPP cruiser several times a day, doing patrols or just sitting and watching traffic. However, sightings have declined to the point that, if we are lucky, we see a cruiser maybe once a week, not counting when they are responding to an incident.
In Jarvis, we are at two of the busiest King’s Highways in Ontario, #6 and #3. There is a great deal of truck and commuter traffic, and from April to November the highways are busy with tourist traffic.
With the decline of OPP visibility, drivers are taking ever-increasing liberties.
Our bedroom windows face Main Street, so I can easily hear the traffic and gauge their speed. Because of health issues, I do not fall asleep easily and wake up easily. I lay awake most nights hearing various vehicles. Some do the speed limit of 50 km/hr, but many, even the transport trucks, are doing 65, 80, or even 100 km/hr. Speeding is not limited to Main and Talbot streets. Walpole Drive, a school zone, has become a drag strip as they either drop children off or use it as a shortcut between Main and Talbot.
And there is not an OPP officer in sight. Calling in offenders is of no use; even with a license number the OPP does nothing.
Because of mobility issues, I have a scooter. In the past few summers when crossing the street at the lights I have almost been hit by a speeding vehicle a half dozen times. Someone racing south on Main Street, trying to make the lights, takes that turn at 25 or 30 km/hr – way too fast. Halfway in, almost on two wheels, they see me with the walk signal and they have to slam on the brakes. Of course, their sudden stop is followed by a string of profanities aimed at me for having the temerity to be crossing the street, forcing them to slow down or, god forbid, stop. Where are the OPP? Nowhere to be seen.
In summer 2019, The Haldimand Press ran an article on the decline of an OPP presence. The OPP candidly stated that their contract calls for a complement of 80 full-time officers but that, because of various absences, they are struggling to put 50 full-time officers on duty.
Why cannot the OPP hire enough officers to fulfil their contractual obligations or pull from other detachments? The OPP is a quasi-military organization and its employees are expected to follow orders.
I have a mortgage on our house. A written contract, willingly signed by both parties with no duress on either part, is enforceable in a court of law. If I was short of funds for a few months and missed one, or several, payments, I would be hit with a Power of Sale action very quickly.
Does the OPP hierarchy in Orillia not realize that they are bound to the terms and conditions in their contract? Just like Haldimand County is obligated to honour it.
As well, where is Haldimand County in this? Council should be holding the OPP’s feet to the fire in this issue.
Haldimand has had to suffer from speeding and reckless drivers. In November of 2019, a young boy was hit in front of the Jarvis Post Office by a speeding car, and just before Christmas a pedestrian was killed on #6 near Nanticoke Road.
How many more have to be hurt or killed?
In August of last year, a transport truck was in such a hurry to turn that the driver tipped his trailer and spilled that load of coke into the ditch.
Again, where is the OPP? Nowhere to be seen.
Maybe it is time that we, as residents whose portion of our property taxes go towards paying for police protection that we do not get, started a class action lawsuit against the OPP?
For breach of contract…
For breach of fiduciary duty…
For reckless endangerment…
For negligence…
And maybe it is time that Council stopped sitting on their hands, confronted the OPP, reminded them of their contractual obligations, and force the OPP to honour their contract.
Or maybe it’s time that Haldimand County told the OPP to go to Hades and we form our own County Police Department.
Allison Gowling,
lifelong resident of Haldimand,
residing in Jarvis,
a writer, now retired from practicing law.
