BY HEIDI ULRICHSEN
About 300 residents of Copper Cliff packed into a room at the McClelland Arena Thursday night to hear what police and fire officials had to say about a string of 25 deliberately set fires in the community over the past two years.
Most of the fires, which have been occurring since July 2005, have been classified as arson. Garbage bins, cars and garages have been set on fire.
Staff Sgt. Bob Keetch said the Greater Sudbury Police Service decided two weeks ago to assign one officer to patrol Copper Cliff on a continuous basis.
The police officer only leaves the community if there's an emergency elsewhere in the city.
“Because of the concern within the community and the increased crime in relation to the fires, there's been an officer dedicated to patrolling this particular area,” he said.
“It's been only under exigent circumstances that he's removed out of this area. It's been more to reduce the likelihood of another fire and put the residents at ease.”
Keetch said only three of the first 14 fires were reported to police, but then someone with the fire service noticed there were an unusual number of fires happening in Copper Cliff.
All of the fires are now being investigated by police.
There have only been two fires so far in 2007, so the number of incidents is on the decrease, he said.
Police believe the person or people igniting the fires lives in Copper Cliff, said Keetch. He asked residents of the community to be on the lookout for suspicious activity and report it to police.
Keetch also advised people to talk to their children about what they may know about the fires.
“They know what is happening in the community, and they're more likely to open up to you than us," he said.
At least three people who spoke at the meeting said they were victims of one of the fires. Several residents asked if it was possible to have a full-time firefighter stationed in Copper Cliff.
Ward 2 Councillor Jacques Barbeau said he wasn't sure that was a viable solution.
“I guess anything's possible. I hate to answer for the fire service, because they're the professionals for how things should be controlled and maintained,” he said.
“Again, if we have a full-time one here, do we put a full-time one in Whitefish and Lively, and where does it end?" he asked.
"Where does the budget end? It's the money. Copper Cliff is also within five miles (of a fire station) so it's a pretty quick response time when they're called.”
Barbeau also spoke about the possibility of setting up a Citizens on Patrol (COPS) program in Copper Cliff and Walden similar to the one already running in Capreol.
He said a COPS program is probably still six months away from being set up.
“We're still in the infancy stages. There was some money put into the budget,” he said. “I'm certainly very interested. I was one of the first councillors requesting a COPS program in the ward – so Walden and Copper Cliff – to help with some of the problems regarding police presence.”
Police asked residents to phone them at 675-9171 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 675-TIPS if they have any information about the fires.
