The Prince Edward County OPP detachment wants to reiterate its commitment to public safety and well-being with the public and media members.

OPP Staff Sgt. John Hatch and OPP Community Safety Officer Cst. Aaron Miller held a complimentary breakfast Friday as a way of building relationships and developing open lines of communication with those that are serving the community.

"A lot of the messaging that Aaron and I want to get out is through the media," Sgt. Hatch explained.

"This is the second time I've done this. It's just nice to put a face to a name and it's all about community safety at the end of the day."

Part of the breakfast was the discussion of public safety initiatives that the OPP is implementing and current issues, both locally and abroad.

March is Fraud Awareness Month and Hatch explained that they will be focusing on putting out reminders about watching for emails and phone calls from individuals that may be falsely claiming there's an urgent situation that requires immediate attention, along with attempted banking and account hacks and online phishing scams.

"Fraud, unfortunately, is one of the huge factors in Prince Edward County," he said. 

"Our seniors get (predominately) targeted and today, with the technology that's there, fraud is one of the main things we are focusing on."

As per usual, Hatch added the OPP is always continuously educating people on safe driving tips, in particular, the "Big Four" road fatality factors that have contributed to many deaths in the last several years; aggressive driving, alcohol/drug-impaired driving, inattentive driving and lack of seat belt use.

"If I was to ask anyone in the County do they have a speeding problem on their street or highway, 100-percent of people put their hand up," he explained. "The number one thing, which is easy to do, is watch your speed."

"Once again, wear your seatbelts and don't use your cellphone while driving. Hands-free is okay, but you cannot have your cellphone in your hand."

"We want people to know that it is not acceptable to drive while intoxicated. So, we'll be doing whatever we can to keep our highways safe."

Also this week, Hatch said the County's Police Services Board approved the allocation of $3,000 in funding for the purchase of "community safety-related" swag items to promote safety measures for the public, and also promote the detachment's Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

Hatch noted that these items are used as symbols to remind County residents to practice safe habits when out and about in the community and on local roads.
 
Some of the practical items will be used to help educate people on fraud awareness, going slow in snowy and icy conditions (ice scraper) and as a reminder to always put your seatbelt on before driving.
 
Cst. Miller will be handing out these items at various locations and events throughout the area once they are received, including downtown stores and the Picton Fair.