Questions about a forensic audit of the Cobourg Police Service’s finances sparked a heated discussion at Tuesday’s council meeting, with Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland seeking clarification about the process and the circumstances that led to the investigation.
Police Services Board Chair and Coun. Adam Bureau said in a statement Sunday that the board had been unable to obtain financial statements from the previous police administration. Following former chief Paul VandeGraaf’s retirement in June, the board conducted a financial review before ordering a forensic audit. The Inspectorate of Policing and the Ontario Provincial Police were also consulted.
New Police Chief Chris Leather told council he had sought advice from other policing agencies but cautioned against interpreting the process as evidence of misconduct.
Cleveland issued a separate statement Monday in response to the board’s announcement, expressing concern about the revelations and saying he had previously raised the possibility of financial mismanagement involving the police service’s budget. Cleveland’s statement read, in part:
“I wish I could say I am personally shocked, but the public record will show I have always believed financial malfeasance was possibly taking place, specifically in regard to the CPS Budget. I have tried to bring this to the public on multiple occasions, right up to the special council meeting I have called for tomorrow to address these issues once again.”
Cobourg mayoral candidate Nicole Beatty is disputing Cleveland’s account of how a financial review of the Cobourg Police Service began, saying the process was already underway before a motion he introduced in August.
Beatty said there had been various meetings and reports over the past few years, and that a report scheduled for release Oct. 23 would compile that information and set the record straight.
Beatty acknowledged the seriousness of the financial concerns, saying she remains accountable for her oversight role and will press for answers and any necessary changes. The review’s findings have not yet been made public.
(Written By: Richard Evans)
