As summer has now drawn to a close, Cobourg residents and visitors have packed away their beach towels and umbrellas but for a small handful of folks, this summer’s beach experience was memorable although perhaps for the wrong reasons.
A number of complaints from beach goers this past summer centered around trash covered beaches and one woman who stepped on a discarded needle says that her life has been irreparably altered.
Mayor Lucas Cleveland has been vocal about keeping Cobourg’s beaches free of trash and discarded sharps since he has been in office and he says his focus has not shifted one iota.
Cleveland points out that Victoria beach is raked every day to guard against the possibility of discarded sharps and that all Municipal Staff are trained in the handling and disposal of same. The issue has both political and law enforcement implications and Cleveland coming from a law enforcement family understand the situation on both fronts. Newly appointed Police Chief Leather has been in close contact with the Mayor over this issue and Cleveland asserts that he and The Chief are on the same page.
He has said more than once that if re-elected he would sit on the Police Board throughout his second term as his decision not to during his first term has allowed him to focus on municipal matters rather than law enforcement issues. When talking about the delicate balance that exists between law enforcement and rehabilitation of addicted drug users, Cleveland is emphatic in his view that the societal aspect of the issue cannot overshadow the illegality of illicit drug use.
Cleveland points out that there has been a dramatic expansion in shelters going from three to 55 beds in the last three years so he is well aware of what the town can and does do to combat homelessness and drug use in Cobourg. To the apologists, however his message is pretty straight forward.
The Mayor vows that as long as he is in power he will do whatever he can to keep the issue manageable but admits it’s a long road ahead and it has to be all hands on deck from here on out.
(Written By: Richard Evans)
