Cobourg Police Services - Law is the Safeguard of Freedom

“lock it or lose it”

Posted on 28 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

‘Lock it or lose it’ is a joint Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and Insurance Bureau of Canada crime prevention initiative.

Crime Prevention Week is the first week of November. Shortly thereafter, the Christmas shopping season will commence and police anticipate an increase in theft from vehicles.

The initiative focuses on vehicle theft and theft from vehicles. This idea while not new continues to prove very successful in reducing thefts. This program involves the checking of vehicles to determine if owners have secured their vehicles and placed items of value out of sight. A vehicle notice is placed in or on the vehicle, indicating the state in which the vehicle was found when checked.

‘Lock it or lose it’ is very timely as Cobourg Police continue to respond to calls from vehicle owners reporting items being stolen from their unlocked vehicles.
Several reports are received by police each week and police suspect that even more incidents are occurring and not be reported.

Cobourg Police assisted by the police volunteers, conduct vehicle checks on a regular basis specifically in parking lots at Northumberland Mall, Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart. The local program is called ‘Auto Theft Prevention’ and officers and police volunteers plan to be out again checking vehicles in November.

beware cocaine users

Posted on 28 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Police, in conjunction with the local Health Unit, offer the following information vital to cocaine users.

People who use cocaine should be aware that there may be a contaminant in the cocaine that can cause severe infection. Levamisole, a veterinary de-wormer, has been added to some cocaine and can cause severe harm to a person’s immune system. If people become ill with this disease, called agranulocytosis (or febrile neutropenia), their body stops producing the white blood cells that fight infection.

Anyone who has used cocaine should get medical care immediately if they have:
• High fever, chills or weakness,
• Swollen glands,
• Painful sores (mouth, anal) and/or
• Any infection that gets worse very fast, of won’t go away. This includes mouth sores or a sore throat, skin infections, abscesses, thrush (white coating on the mouth, tongue or throat) and pneumonia.

No cases have been reported in Northumberland County to date, although Peterborough and Petawawa each have had one case so far this year. There have been several cases in western Canada and the United States.

Cocaine that contains levamisole does not look any different from ‘regular’ crack or powder cocaine. There have been reports worldwide of levamisole in cocaine. For example, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency recently reported that 30% of seized cocaine contained levamisole

man arrested for domestic assault

Posted on 28 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

On Tuesday, October 27, Cobourg Police were asked to investigate the assault of a 21 year old female victim.

The investigation revealed that a couple were residing in an east-end apartment building and involved in a common-law relation.

After dinner, the couple became involved in a dish cloth throwing incident which resulted in the male pushing his partner onto the bed and stuffing the cloth in her mouth.

When she confronted him in the kitchen about his actions, he put her in a choke hold around her neck causing her cheeks to flush. When he let go, she fell to the floor.

The 21 year male has been arrested by police and charged with domestic assault. The couple have agreed separate and are living apart.

two vehicles collide in intersection

Posted on 27 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Cobourg Police investigated a two-vehicle crash on Monday, October 26 at 12:50 p.m. at the intersection of Hibernia and King Streets.

A southbound pickup truck attempted to turn left onto King Street; however the driver turned in front of a northbound car on Hibernia Street.

A collision occurred within the intersection, blocking traffic for a short time.

The 19 year old Colborne female driving the pickup truck has been charged with careless driving.

The driver of the car was treated at the scene by EMS for a sore wrist.

Although both vehicles were damaged, they were able to be driven from the scene.

man arrested in domestic dispute

Posted on 26 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Cobourg Police were called to a King Street apartment early Sunday morning, October 25 around 2:30 a.m.

The investigation resulted in the arrest of a 20 year old male whom it is alleged physically assaulted his 21 year old female partner. What began as a verbal argument escalated into the female victim being shoved into a wall and having her wrists grabbed.

She feared for her safety and left the apartment. Police were contacted and the male was arrested and charged with assault. He has been held in custody pending a bail hearing on Monday afternoon in Cobourg court.

military clothing stolen from vehicle

Posted on 26 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Early last Friday morning, around midnight, a vehicle parked at Boston Pizza at Northumberland Mall was entered and items of clothing were stolen.

The owner of the car is a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces and he had parked his car near the restaurant while he visited with friends inside. When he came back to his car around 1:00 a.m., he discovered the theft.

Stolen items include military clothing. Specifically a light-green Columbia winter jacket with cargo pockets, a camouflage vest and tilly hat, a camouflage winter jacket with black-leather gloves in the pocket and another pair of camouflage leather gloves.

The victim believes he had left his car unlocked.

money stolen from laundry machines

Posted on 21 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

machines and one dryer located in an Ontario Street apartment building.

The thefts occurred overnight on Saturday, October 17.

It appears that a prying device was used to gain entry to the laundry room and coin boxes on the machines. According to the building superintendent, a couple hundred dollars in loonies and quarters is missing.

After a similar incident this past July, video surveillance cameras were installed at the front and rear doors of the building.

The investigation is on-going as police and other officials prepare to review the surveillance footage.

vehicle driver ‘doors’ cyclist

Posted on 21 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

van he was passing. The van was parked on the west side of the street and apparently the occupant did not see the cyclist approaching and opened his driver’s door.

The right-handle bar of the bicycle struck the door causing the crash.

The cyclist was taken to Northumberland Hills Hospital by ambulance to be checked over.

The van occupant has been charged with opening a vehicle door improperly.

residence front window smashed

Posted on 21 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Sometime overnight on Friday, October 16, a book was thrown through the front window of a Fairbanks Road home.

The occupants were away at the time and the smashed window was discovered later on Saturday morning by a person checking on the house.

An 18” square glass window was smashed by the book which was recovered on the floor inside the house under the broken window.

The book is known to be the property of St. Mary’s High School. The investigation is continuing.

assaults on unlocked vehicles rages

Posted on 21 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Unlocked vehicles continue to draw heavily on police resources and thefts incurred by vehicle owners.

Since October 15, police have investigated seven more reports of parked vehicles being entered and contents ransacked and stolen.

This week’s stolen tally includes a Garmin and a Tom Tom GPS, prescription medicine, loose change, hundreds of dollars in cash, XM radio receiver, a winning lottery ticket, wallets, bank and credit cards and personal documents.

Also two chain saws were stolen from the rear box of a pickup truck parked on Huycke Street. They were both Stihl saws, models 290 and 012. They are valued at $900.00.

The other streets involved in these thefts are Chipping Park Boulevard, Gillett Court, Cornell Crescent, Burnham Street, Jeffrey Crescent and Westwood Drive.

Police again ask the public to make sure they lock their vehicles every time and everywhere they are left unattended. Failure to do this will probably lead to an entry and theft.

vehicles damaged by rocks

Posted on 21 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Over the past week, Cobourg Police have received two reports of parked vehicles being damaged by someone throwing rocks at them.

The first incident occurred overnight on Thursday, October 15 where a parked vehicle on D’Arcy Street had its passenger-side window smashed with a rock.

The second incident occurred the following night. A vehicle parked on Princess Street had a rock thrown through the windshield. The driver’s side door and window were also damaged.

man arrested after ramming police car

Posted on 20 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

On Monday evening at 8:30 p.m., Cobourg Police were called to Northumberland Mall by mall security in regards to possible thefts by suspicious persons.

Police arrived at the mall parking lot and observed the suspects attempting to leave the area in their green Ford Windstar van. Two cruisers were present and when one blocked the vans exit, the van jumped a curb and travelled on the sidewalk.

The van pulled back onto the parking lot and proceeded in an eastbound direction and drove directly into a second police car which had stopped and was attempting to block the van. The van continued onto the mall entrance sidewalk and struck a concrete planter and then drove into the main mall entrance pillar where it came to rest.

The driver was immediately arrested by police. He had to be taken to Northumberland Hills Hospital to be checked and subsequently release to police. .

The driver and accused is Bruce Evans. He is 46 years old and resides in Scarborough. He is facing 11 charges and will be having a bail hearing on Tuesday, October 20 at 1:30 p.m., in Cobourg court.

His charges include flight from police, dangerous driving, assault with a weapon (the van), possession of stolen property, two counts of breach of probation and five counts of driving under suspension and while disqualified.

The officer in the cruiser which was rammed suffered a neck injury.
The police car sustained significant damage.

The investigation is on-going as police search the van and its contents.

residential break in

Posted on 15 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Cobourg Police are in the midst of a break, enter and theft investigation which has occurred at a James Street home.

The occupants of the house are away on vacation and the house has been checked regularly by a neighbour.

On Wednesday afternoon, October 14, the neighbour discovered that someone had smashed a window in a rear door allowing entry to the residence.

Police arrived and the house was checked. Every room in the home had been ransacked and at this time the only known item stolen is a large-screen television.

The residence has been secured and the investigation will continue when the owners return home in a few days.

police investigate more thefts from vehicles

Posted on 14 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Overnight on Sunday, October 11 and during Monday, October 12, Cobourg Police received three more calls from vehicle owner’s reporting their vehicles having been entered and items stolen.

The vehicles were parked on Alder Road, Alexandria Drive and Parkview Hills Drive.

Stolen items include a wallet, cell phones, a GPS and cash.

Police believe all the vehicles were left unlocked.

more vehicles entered

Posted on 13 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Over the past long weekend, Cobourg Police received two more reports of unlocked vehicles being entered and property stolen.

One incident occurred on Heenan Street overnight on Saturday, October 10 and the thief stole a GPS worth $150. 00.

Two other vehicles were entered overnight on Sunday, October 11 on Otto Drive. Both were parked at the same address. Stolen property included $110.00 in U.S. currency, a bottle of anti-depressant pills, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

woman arrested for drinking and driving

Posted on 13 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Cobourg Police were asked to be on the lookout for a possible impaired driving entering town southbound on Division Street. The report was received on Saturday, October 10 around 6:45 p.m.

Several moments later, police observed the suspect vehicle pull into the parking lot of the L.C.B.O. store on Albert Street.

An officer approached the female driver and quickly established that she had the smell of alcohol on her breath. She also gave police her social insurance card when asked to produce her driver’s licence.

She was subsequently given a roadside screening device demand and when she failed the test she was arrested and taken to the Cobourg Police office.

At the police office, the suspect blew almost three times the legal limit. She has been charged with Driving Over .08. Her driver’s licence was seized for the mandatory 90 days and she was given a Promise to Appear notice for a future court date.

seventeen year old arrested on numerous charges

Posted on 13 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

On Saturday, October 10 at 4:00 p.m., Cobourg Police attended at a Burnet Drive address in response to a disturbance.

The investigation revealed that the occupants, the mother, father and teenage son, had become involved in a dispute, allegedly perpetrated by the son.

He reportedly threatened to kill his mother and he threw some furniture down the stair case in her direction while continually ranting and yelling obscenities at his parent. He had left the residence prior to police arriving.

A few minutes later, police located the teen in the area and he was arrested. A search of the accused revealed a quantity of marijuana on his person. He has been charged with uttering death threats, assault with a weapon (furniture), possession of drugs, failing to comply with conditions of a previous undertaking and failing to comply with a previous sentence or disposition.

He was held in custody until Sunday morning, when he was released to another family member

female arrested for stealing perfume

Posted on 09 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

A 31 year old Port Hope woman has been arrested and charged with theft and possession of stolen property after an incident at Zeller’s on Thursday, October 8, at 3:25 p.m.

Store staff observed the accused select a box of perfume from the shelf and conceal it in her clothes. She then proceeded to the washroom and upon exiting; a female store employee went into the washroom and located the perfume box, minus the perfume bottle.

The accused was followed out of the store and arrested and the perfume bottle was surrendered to store staff and subsequently turned over to police.

reckless driving reported to police, driver charged

Posted on 09 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

On Thursday, October 8 around 2:30 p.m., Cobourg Police received reports of a car driving recklessly in the College and James Street area.

Reports from witnesses advise that the car was being driven by a young male with two young female passengers. The car is alleged to have run a stop sign and almost hit a pedestrian crossing the street and also driving around at a high rate of speed.

Police attended the area and located the car on Division Street near James Street.

With the assistance of the witnesses, police have charged the driver, an 18 year old Colborne teen, with careless driving.

man arrested for stealing perfume

Posted on 07 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

On Sunday, October 4 around 8:20 p.m., a man entered Shoppers Drug Mart and took a quantity of perfume and cologne off an open shelve display. He held onto the items near the automatic entrance doors and when a new customer entered the store through these doors he took the opportunity to exit the store without offering to pay for anything.

He was last seen running northbound along the east wall of the store.

Police arrived a few minutes later and the suspect was not located. The security video tape was viewed and a good description of the suspect was obtained.

Approximately 30 minutes later, police observed a man a few blocks away who fit the description of the suspect. As police approached the man, he took items out of his coat and placed them on the sidewalk. It was all the stolen perfume and police had their man.

He was arrested and has been held for a bail hearing on charges of theft, possession of stolen property and breach of a previous undertaking.
All of the perfume and cologne was recovered. It had a retail value of approximately $400.00.

two vehicles collide on division street

Posted on 07 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Cobourg Police investigated a two-car crash on Division Street on Monday, October 5 at 11:27 a.m.

Two vehicles were northbound near Covert Street when the lead car veered to the right then attempted a U-turn. The second car struck the first part way through the turn.

The driver of the turning car, a 65 year Cobourg man, has been charged with failing to yield to through traffic.

Both cars were driven from the scene and there were no injuries.

beware of possible fake furnace inspector

Posted on 04 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Cobourg Police wish to advise the public that they received a late report of a man posing as a furnace inspector.

The single incident occurred during the second last week of September at a west-end home.

A woman was convinced by a male to allow him to view her furnace. He was allowed in the house and did proceed to the area of the furnace. He was in the home for approximately ten minutes.

According to the resident, he did not touch or take anything however his actions were suspicious.

The man is described as being in his mid 40’s, with a dark beard. He also smelled of alcohol.

He was seen leaving the area in an old white-pickup truck.

two cars collide a via entrance

Posted on 04 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

The entrance/exit roadway to the VIA train station requires extreme caution and patience as the view is somewhat obstructed.

A 20 year old Peterborough man found out the hard way on Friday, October 2 at 2:00 p.m., when he attempted to turn left onto Division Street and struck a southbound car.

The driver of the turning car has been charged with making an improper left turn.

There were no injuries and both cars were able to be driven from the scene.

school bus and minivan collide

Posted on 04 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

A school-bus driver has been charged with failing to yield when he pulled his empty school bus out onto King Street East from the high school parking lot. He struck an eastbound van in the process.

The crash occurred on Wednesday, September 30 at 8:14 a.m.

The school bus driver, a 63 year old Cobourg man and the driver of the minivan were not injured.

Both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.

more vehicles entered, more thefts

Posted on 04 Oct 2009 by Cst. Terry Stanley

Cobourg Police are investigation two more reports of thefts from unlocked vehicles. They occurred overnight on Tuesday, September 29 and Thursday, October 1.

The first entry occurred on Boulton Street and the owner reported to police that a Nextar GPS unit was stolen. It is valued at $300.00.

The second incident occurred on Ball’s Lane. This entry netted thieves some loose change and a blue and black nylon case which contained a camera and some home video disks.

The camera is a Cannon Rebel EOS XS valued at $500.00.