Pubdate: Thu, 25 Aug 2011
Source: Orillia Today (CN ON)
Copyright: 2011 Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing
Contact: http://www.simcoe.com/generalform
Website: http://www.simcoe.com/community/simcoenorth
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1508
Author: Frank Matys

CRIME DOWN, OPP REPORTS

ORILLIA - Robbery and other crimes are at "all-time lows" in Orillia,
the city's police services board says.

The board in its accountability report to council  says incidents of
robbery, break and enter and thefts large and small are lower than
ever, with significant reductions in crime two years running.

Board chair Rick Fraracci says that falling crime rates are the result
of a concerted effort to target Orillia's illegal drug trade.

"There has always been a link between crime such as break and enters
and robberies to drugs," Fraracci told Orillia Today.

A program of enhanced drug enforcement is indeed bearing fruit, the
board says in its recent report to council.

"Proactive police enforcement of illegal drug offenses is at an
all-time high, as is the criminal clearance rate, which is far above
the provincial average at 52.18 per cent," the board reports. "In the
past two years, police have solved nine per cent more of the crime
they investigated than in previous years."

Added Fraracci:

"I certainly credit Insp. Don Goard and I credit the men and women of
the detachment."

Initiatives implemented by the Orillia OPP detachment over the past
year include a full-time high school liaison position and an enhanced
street crime unit.

"They are looking at projections in crime from today into the future
and how they will react on those," said Fraracci, a former police
officer. "They tend to be very aggressive officers in this field. They
are dealing with crime as it happens on the street. They are a very
pro-active unit."

The unit now has a staff member dedicated to overseeing a program that
helps ensure offenders released from custody comply with their
conditions of release.

Those who don't are returned to jail, the board adds.

"This is a rather important position," Fraracci said.

On the road-watch front, police will continue to target drivers who
run red lights and stop signs, as well as speeders.

Elsewhere, downtown foot patrols are under review with the aim of
increasing police visibility in the core and park areas during peak
times.

Police will continue to focus on violent and drug-related
crimes.

The detachment's Citizens on Patrol initiative, now in its third
season, continues to monitor and track graffiti, photographing the
work of vandals for inclusion in a centralized database.

Participants in the volunteer program roam the city in pairs looking
for suspicious activity that is then reported to police for follow-up.
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.