Gravenhurst Needs Video Surveillance To Stop Criminal Acts

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE IS THE WAY TO NAB VANDALS, EXPOSE DRUG DEALS, TAKE A SHOT BACK AT CRIME

DON'T TAKE UP POLICE TIME WITH TRIVIAL PURSUIT

     I'M PRETTY SURE, THAT IF EVERY BOARD IN EVERY WOODEN STRUCTURE, IN GULL LAKE PARK, BOLDY REFERENCED THAT "TED CURRIE IS AN ASSHOLE," COUNCIL LIKELY WOULDN'T HAVE SOUGHT ASSISTANCE FROM THE ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE TO BAG THE VANDAL(S). MAYBE THEY'D BE MAD ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO THE BOARDS, BUT NOT TO MY REPUTATION. HEY, I GET CALLED THIS ALL THE TIME, SOMETIMES EVEN BY FAMILY. I ROLL WITH IT FOLKS. COLUMNISTS FACE THIS ALL THE TIME. I'VE HAD DEATH THREATS BECAUSE OF MY EDITORIAL DECISIONS, SO BEING CALLED AN ASSHOLE DOESN'T WORRY ME TOO MUCH.

     THE REALITY THAT COUNCILLOR NAMES WERE USED IN THE RECENT SPATE OF IN-PARK EDITORIALS, SEEMS MORE RELEVANT TO LOCAL GOVERNANCE, THAN THE USUAL RUN OF THE MILL PICNIC TABLE CARVINGS, WHICH HAVE NOTED A LOT OF BAD THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE FOR MANY YEARS. AND YES, IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME FOR PARKS CREWS TO ERASE THE NASTY SLOGANS ABOUT FELLOW CITIZENS. NOW, FOR THE RECORD, I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST FEW CITIZENS TO REPORT THE EXTENT OF THE VANDAL'S CREATIVITY, TO A COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE LAST WEEK, YET IT TOOK THE TOWN MORE THAN A WEEK TO GET CRACKING ON SANDING OR PAINTING OVER THE GRAFFITI……SOME OF IT WAS STILL THERE FOR THE SUNDAY NIGHT, MUSIC ON THE BARGE CONCERT; A FULL SEVEN DAYS AFTER I REPORTED THE NUMEROUS EDITORIAL TOMES. I HAVE JUST NOW LEARNED, THAT THE OPP ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THE SEARCH FOR THE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED WOOD-INSCRIBER. LIKE I NOTED EARLIER, BIG NAMES, BIG ACTION.

     I THOUGHT, SILLY ME, THE GRAFFITI SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. AND I MEAN THAT. NOT A WEEK LATER. RIGHT AWAY. THIS IS BECAUSE THE VANDA-TORIALS WERE AIMED AT OUR LEADERSHIP, AND WHILE I HAVE A LOT OF OPINIONS ABOUT COUNCIL MYSELF, I DON'T LIKE THIS KIND OF RE-ACTION, ON TOP OF PROPERTY I HELPED PAY FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. I'M A BIG SUPPORTER OF FREE SPEECH AND THE FULL WIDTH AND BREADTH OF DEMOCRACY, BUT THIS STUFF WAS GUTLESS IN ITS PRESENTATION, IN A HIGHLY USED PUBLIC PARK…….AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO SHARE WITH OUR VISITORS. I AM TOLD THERE WERE OTHER MORE SERIOUS EDITORIALS I DIDN'T SEE, DURING MY WALK-ABOUT IN THE PARK. I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TOWN ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE OPP, OTHER THAN I DO THINK THEY HAVE BIGGER CHALLENGES OUT THERE, THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, RATHER THAN CHASING AFTER SOME ANGRY CITIZEN WITH A MAGIC MARKER, OR AT THE MOST, A PEN KNIFE…..AND SOME PENT-UP FRUSTRATION. I SORT OF UNDERSTAND THIS…..JUST NOT THE DAMAGING OF PUBLIC PROPERTY TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS. BY THE WAY, A LOT OF FOLKS READ, AND COMMENTED ABOUT THE POLITICAL GRAFFITI, AT THE MOST RECENT CONCERT ON THE BARGE. NOT SO GOOD FOR US, AS TOWNSFOLK, BUT REALLY CRAPPY FOR OUR SUMMER VISITORS. WE HAVE OUR OPINIONS ABOUT LOCAL LEADERSHIP BUT TAKING A CHEAP SHOT ON PICNIC TABLE TOPS IS NASTY BUSINESS.

     I THINK THE TOWN COULD HAVE HANDLED THIS ON THEIR OWN. HEY, IT'S THEIR CHOICE. BUT I'M WILLING TO BET, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH THE INDIVIDUAL, WITH A BEEFED-UP PARK PATROL, AFTER DARK, OR FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. HERE'S AN IDEA. TAKE THE BYLAW OFFICERS OFF THE MAIN STREET, AND PUT THEM ON PARK DETAL. DRESS THEM UP AS SHRUBS TO DO SURVEILLANCE. OR BETTER STILL, GET SOME CAMERAS DOWN THERE.

     I AM HUGELY CONCERNED ABOUT PRIVACY ISSUES IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT AS A CONTRADICTION OF MY OWN FEELINGS, I ALSO BELIEVE IN USING TECHNOLOGY TO BUST CRIMINALS. AS I WROTE ABOUT IN MY PREVIOUS BLOG, WHICH UNDOUBTEDLY OFFENDED THE CITIZENS WHO DON'T BELIEVE THIS STUFF OCCURS IN OUR GARDEN-RICH, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE TOWN. NOT ONLY WOULD VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CATCH THE PERPETRATORS OF THE GULL LAKE VANDALISM, BUT IT WOULD ALSO CLEARLY REMOVE THE PRIVACY BARRIER, THAT EXISTS TODAY, FOR ALL THE PARK RESOURCE ABUSERS, THE DRUG DEALERS, CONSUMERS OF ALCOHOL, EVEN ON THE BARGE, AND THE PHYSICAL ASSAULTS THAT OCCUR THERE BUT ARE SELDOM IF EVER REPORTED. WE'VE HAD TO INTERVENE AS CITIZENS, ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, TO STOP VANDALISM ON THE BARGE, AND IT WASN'T PRETTY EITHER. BUT WE GOT RESULTS WITHOUT HAVING TO CALL IN THE POLICE. THEY'VE GOT BIGGER INVESTIGATIONS NEEDING MORE URGENT ATTENTION.

     WHILE THERE WOULD BE OBJECTIONS TO VIDEO SURVEILLANCE INSTALLATIONS UP AND DOWN THE MAIN STREET OF OUR TOWN, THE CAMERAS WOULD PROVIDE SOME BACK-UP EVIDENCE, TO THE CLAIMS I MADE IN YESTERDAY'S BLOG……WHICH, ALL BY THE WAY, WERE WITNESSED BY MORE THAN ONE PERSON. THE CAMERAS, WHEN THEY ARE IDENTIFIED AS "SURVEILLANCE BEING CONDUCTED" GIVES THE PERPETRATOR(S) A CHANCE TO RE-THINK THE CRIMINAL ACT, IN THAT AREA. THE REALITY IS, CRIMINALS AREN'T TOO SWIFT WHEN IT COMES TO READING SIGNS. I DON'T THINK A SIGN IS GOING TO THWART THE PUBLIC URINATION WHICH HAPPENS VERY OFTEN, AFTER DRINKING BINGES, AND IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE TOWN BOSSES, AND BOTH THE BIA AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SUNSET, IN THEIR GENERALLY QUIET LITTLE COMMUNITY, TUCKED INTO THE HINTERLAND OF SOUTH MUSKOKA. I'M WILLING TO BET, THERE WOULD BE SOME ENLIGHTENMENT GOING ON, AND SO IT SHOULD. EVEN AS AN EXPERIMENT WITH A MONITORING COMPANY, SELLING THIS TECHNOLOGY TO MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, THE VISUALS WOULD BE WORTH THE PRELIMINARY GAMBLE; BUT TO BORROW A LINE FROM THE MOVIE "A FEW GOOD MEN," CAN OUR LEADERSHIP "HANDLE THE TRUTH?" I'M NOT SURE? THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN COUNCILLORS, READING MY BLOG, WHO WOULD HAVE ERUPTED IN DEEP CHORTLES AND GRUNTS OF DISBELIEF, AND CLAIMS OF THE WRITER'S EMBELLISHMENT TO TURN A PROFIT. I DON'T GET A PROFIT, FIRST OF ALL, AND I NEVER MAKE A CLAIM THAT I DON'T STAND BEHIND, TO TAKE-ON ALL COMERS WHO WISH TO CONFRONT THE BIG MOUTH…..THAT WOULD BE ME. I THINK THE RESULTS OF A RANDOM VIDEO TEST RUN, WOULD REVEAL SOMETHING REVOLTING IN OUR TOWN, THAT HAS GONE ON FOR A LONG TIME, IN THE SHADOWS OF PARKS AND NOOKS AND CRANNIES OF THE MAIN STREET. AT THIS POINT, IT IS WHAT COUNCIL NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE…..NOT JUST THE FACT, WHAT ONE OR TWO OUT OF CONTROL WRITERS ARE DOING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY OVER AT GULL LAKE. IT'S A FAR GREATER PROBLEM THAN ANYONE AT TOWN HALL BELIEVES. MAYBE THEY ARE STARTING TO PIECE ALL THIS TOGETHER, AND IT TOOK HAVING THEIR NAMES SCRIBBLED ALL OVER THE PLACE, TO GET IRKED BY THE ADVERSE PUBLICITY. WELL, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE LIVING IN THE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S BEEN AN UGLY, ON-GOING REALITY THAT DIDN'T CAUSE A POLICE INTERVENTION BEFORE……SO WHY NOW? HONESTLY, HOW URGENT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN TO SAND AWAY GRAFFITI ABOUT ME……OR YOU, OR THE CHAP DOWN THE STREET, UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! I DON'T LIKE THIS KIND OF ATTACK ON PUBLIC FIGURES, IN THIS FORMAT. SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OR A NOTE TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND SIGN IT! THAT IS THE COURAGEOUS THING TO DO, IF YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS TRUTHFUL. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A COWARD AT WORK, AND A VIDEO SURVEILLANCE PROTOCOL, WOULD NOT ONLY PROTECT OUR TAXPAYER ASSETS, BUT IT WOULD LET THE POLICE TEND TO MORE PRESSING ISSUES, THAN FINDING OUT WHO IS CALLING OUR TOWN REPRESENTATIVES NASTY NAMES.

      OUR TOWN IS A LONG WAY FROM PERFECT. AND WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHO IS DRAGGING US TO THESE LOWER DEPTHS OF CIVILITY. GIVE US SOME VIDEO PROTECTION, AND WATCH WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE…….AND IT WILL BE A GOON SHOW……JUST LIKE THE ONE WE SEE ON MOST NIGHTS, DRIVING THROUGH OUR TOWN.