Community Column by Don Butt

Town of Mono, ON (Mono Community Policing Committee)
With winter soon to be upon us , we’re sure , it’s time to talk about preparing our vehicles and updating our driving skills in winter conditions. Make sure your vehicle has a winter service by your garage and that you have winter-rated tires on all 4 wheels. If you drive long distances or very frequently, you should also carry an emergency kit. These are available in most auto stores or you can make up your own.

It should include the following :
A First Aid Kit
Safety Pins
Aspirin
A Candle and matches
Tissue or paper towel
A good Flashlight
Compass
Tools such as pliers, Screwdriver ( multi-head), Knife.
Booster Cables
A Pressure can of air and sealant (spare in a can).
Food (high energy – candy bars , gum)

You may want to add a blanket, a small fire extinguisher, flares or light sticks, a warning reflector or flashing light . Nowadays your best emergency equipment is a cell phone (well charged or with extra battery).

To update your winter driving remember: Slow down when snow or ice may be on the road or imminent. Watch intersections closely . Leave much more space than normal for stopping. Lights on full when visibility drops. It won’t help you to see in daylight but you will be much more visible to others. Clear snow from all surfaces of vehicle before starting out. Check windshield wipers for buildup. Safe driving!

ROAD WATCH – If you see a dangerous or aggressive driver, report them by using one of our forms or simply calling on your cellphone to (519) 925-3838 . Our forms are available at
Mono Plaza,
Mono Municipal office
Pete’s Donuts, Mono Mills
OPP Dufferin, Primrose, or
Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health Unit, Orangeville (forms only). Other locations have drop boxes for your report.

SAFETY TIP – Brake while the car is still straight, before steering for turns or curves. Brake early so vehicle speed is stabilized through the corner. (This tip comes to you courtesy of Doug Annett of Oakville’s Skid Control School – www.skidcontrolschool.com)

To contact us – www.monocommunitypolicing.com.

Don Butt is currently the Public Relations and Media Contact for the Mono Community Policing Committee. If you would like more information on anything covered in Don’s Column or would like to see a topic of public interest or safety covered; post a comment below.

New National Locksmith Registry announced for 2010

Downsview, ON (Institutional Locksmiths Organization of Canada)
Beginning in January, the ILOC will launch their National Locksmith Registry. Intended to provide the public, corporate, institutional and private sectors with an effective means to perform safety and due diligence checks of contractors and installers of security and door hardware.

The registry will be open to ALL locksmiths, not only institutional, as well as security personnel regardless of their membership in other organizations. The National Locksmith Registry will be an accurate database of Locksmiths and Security Personnel from across Canada who have completed and passed an RCMP criminal background check (form C216-C).

The registry is not intended to replace any province’s existing Locksmith legislation. Along with proper training for Locksmiths, the registry will help to provide the industry with the best Locksmiths and security personnel possible for their clients.

For more information, visit the website, www.iloc.ca

OPP wage uphill battle against marihuana grow-ops

(OPP -Dufferin Detachment)
Illicit drugs, particularly marihuana, continue to be a scourge in
society and an ever-increasing threat to the safety of Ontario residents and communities.

Today the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) released the results of its
annual Marihuana Eradication Program. In an eight-week span, OPP Drug Enforcement Section of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau seized and destroyed 118,443 marihuana plants in various areas across the province.

Investigations into 220 grow operations resulted in 110 charges against 56 people.

At a media conference today, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino and
Inspector Bryan Martin of the Drug Enforcement Section issued a warning about
the increasing threat to public and police officer safety posed by the
expansion of marihuana cultivation in Ontario. Police described an alarming increase in the number of loaded weapons, booby traps, cameras and other security devices discovered this year that are being used by growers to ward off ‘pot pirates’ and police. These weapons also pose a significant safety threat to the unsuspecting public who utilize these same outdoor spaces for recreational activities.

OPP investigators have also identified an increase in the involvement of
international organized crime to marihuana cultivation including evidence of exploiting illegal immigrants and grow-op workers who are paid in illicit drugs.

Provincial Constable A.L. Buck, OPP Dufferin Detachment
Phone: (519) 925-3838

<< DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!! >>

James Doan
Chairman
Mono Community Policing Committee

What’s your driving style?

Town of Mono, ON (Mono Community Policing)
How you drive says a lot about you and how you perceive things like safety, fuel efficiency, the cost of fuel and the role you play in helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bottom line is we all want to save money and help the environment, right?

See if you can see yourself in any of these four driving styles, recently identified by Natural Resources Canada at www.vehicles.nrcan.gc.ca:

• Aggressive driver – Accelerates quickly, brakes hard, drives significantly over the speed limit, makes frequent lane changes, passes other drivers whenever possible, tailgates, and is focused on being first;

• Rushed driver — Drives and accelerates a little faster than most and sometimes passes other drivers. Always in a rush and is focused on saving time;

• Average driver —Drives with the flow of traffic, reacts to other traffic, looking ahead but is not really engaged by the driving task and is more focused on the destination than the drive;

• Eco-driver- Accelerates gently, follows the speed limit, anticipates traffic flow, and coasts to decelerate. Considers alternatives to driving, combines trips, monitors fuel consumption, reduces idling, maintains proper tire pressure, and reduces air conditioning use. Focused on safety and saving fuel, the fuel-efficient driver will probably also have more money in his or her wallet!

www.newscanada.com

Provincial Constable A.L. Buck, OPP Dufferin Detachment
Phone: (519) 925-3838

<< DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!! >>

James Doan
Chairman
Mono Community Policing Committee

Control your consumption for new alcohol regulations

Town of Mono, ON (Mono Community Policing)
With the holidays just around the corner, new legislation from the Ontario government is reminding Canadians across the country about the importance of monitoring their celebratory alcohol intake.

As of May 1, 2009, Ontario has new impaired driving laws that include lower alcohol level tolerance. If a driver is caught having a blood alcohol level in the ‘warn range,’ between 0.05mg and 0.08mg, they can have their license suspended for three days for the first offense. Steeper penalties for future offences include seven-day and 30-day suspensions, alcohol education programs, as well as the installation of an ignition interlock set-up.

“With new limits in place across Ontario, drivers from St. John’s to Victoria should also remember the importance of safety when behind the wheel,” said Mauro Convertini, an insurance and claims expert from Aviva Canada. “With the holidays fast approaching, making responsible decisions will help drivers be safer on the roads, resulting in fewer alcohol related collisions.”

When planning activities that involve alcohol consumption, Convertini recommends keeping these tips in mind:

• Know the truth: Urban myths proclaim that drivers are safe to get behind the wheel if they consume no more than one drink per hour in an evening. Protect yourself, your passengers and other drivers by not drinking at all if you are driving. Convictions for driving above the legal 0.08mg limit carry stiff penalties such as license suspesion for a year, along with hefty fines.

• Know the limit: Blood alcohol levels vary from person-to-person – be aware of your cutoff.

• Know the cost: In additional to potential criminal charges, drivers looking for auto insurance after being convicted of impaired driving may see their insurance premiums as much as triple. More information on driving safety can be found online at www.changeinsurance.ca or toll-free at 1-866-My Aviva (692-8482). You can also contact your insurance broker.

credit: www.newscanada.com

Provincial Constable A.L. Buck, OPP Dufferin Detachment
Phone: (519) 925-3838

<< DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!! >>

James Doan
Chairman
Mono Community Policing Committee