10 - Southpoint Sun
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Leamington business adjusts to pandemic
LEAMINGTON — When Liz and David McCormick started Legacy Auctions in February 2011, they never en-
visioned that a pandemic would bring their business to screeching halt. After their March 13 auction, that’s
Liz and David McCormick pose near one of their many auction trailers at the fairgrounds in Leamington. Their business, Legacy Auctions, is adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic by converting their auction house into a retail outlet. Sun photo
Letter to Editor
Writer provides policing insight
Dear Editor: Whereas I understand the Mayor’s frustration with the OPP not granting the request for more officers (aside from some other stated issues), the idea that a few more cops will make an appreciable difference is debatable, unfortunately. There are some significant and disturbing factors that contribute to the crime situation in Essex County, as well as everywhere else. I can really only speak to the local situation. In 2017, the government decided that ‘carding’ was no longer a police option. This means that if police stop someone at 3am in a residential area (ie wearing a backpack, a hoodie, on a bike), that person doesn’t have to identify themselves unless they are caught committing a crime, or a Highway Traffic Act infraction. So if that person is wanted or has a curfew via probation, or if crime in that area is reported the next day, the police have no way of knowing who they were. So much for proactive policing and a ‘suspicious person’ check. If you are on the up and up, and appreciate police wanting to keep the community safe, why would you mind saying who you are and what you are doing? Most people don’t mind – the people with something to hide are wellaware of this change.
Another issue is that as of January 2000, the government decided that there would be no bail hearings, other than in exceptional circumstances. This means that whereas before, someone with a criminal background and/or was on probation, who had a new charge laid on them would often be held until the next day and put before a judge. The judge would review the individual’s history and either keep them incarcerated or release them on a judge’s order and/or with additional conditions to abide by. Now, if a repeat offender, or anyone commits a ‘low priority’ crime, such as theft from a vehicle or shed, stealing a bike or shop-lifting, they have to be released by police once the paperwork for a court date is done. This means that those individuals can be back out on the street within two or three hours of the arrest. “In Canada, the incarceration rate on average stands at 88 per 100,000 people. This rate is relatively low when compared with the United States, where the rate is 716 per 100,000 people.” Chelangat Faith - August 15 2017 in Society. The whole shift over the last 20 years by the Ontario court system has resulted in low incarceration rates for repeat offenders of non-violent crime. People are held in jail less, and for less time. This means that communities are re-
exactly what happened. After about ten years of increasingly frequent auctions held at their auction house at the Leamington Fairgrounds, the couple found themselves in an unusual predicament. With an auction hall full of merchandise, they had to think outside the box to keep their business going. After all, they had become accustomed to at least 100 auction customers attending their weekly Sunday auctions. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a challenge, to say the least. After several weeks being idle, the McCormicks decided it was in the best interest of their clients, their staff and their business, to change things up. Starting this week, Legacy Auctions has opened their doors to the public, offering the items they would have normally put up for auction, to anyone wanting to come in and shop. The merchandise runs the gamut of household items, tools, furniture and appliances and the hall is jam packed with loads of goods. “We realized that we have clients who need us to move their stuff,” said Liz. “We also realized that local people are in need of reasonably priced used
items.” So they contacted their auction clients and got permission to change their way of selling to move the merchandise along. They’ve been preparing for a couple of weeks and are ready to re-open their doors — with a twist. Legacy is now open for retail shoppers Tuesday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from 9:30 to noon. When the virus situation fades enough for restrictions on auctions and large gatherings to be lifted, the McCormicks expect they’ll return to business as usual. There will be regular COVID-19 restrictions and you must wear a mask to enter the premises, following the recently announced mandatory restriction by the local health unit. They will only allow about 20 shoppers in the building at one time, to keep social distancing possible, and cannot open their washroom facilities to the public. The auction house is near the back of the Leamington Fairgrounds property in the Jeanette Mulholland Activity Centre.
victimized over and over by many of the same people. Next issue: Much crime committed in Leamington is committed by people who have an addiction issue. This is a situation that no one has control over, including the police. No one can ‘make’ someone get help for an addiction. All communities, to a greater or lesser degree, struggle with the fall-out from the use of crack, methamphetamine, and opioids. It is by far not just Leamington. “The total rate of opioid users in Windsor-Essex County was 18.9% greater than the provincial rate of opioid users; when compared to 49 other regions in Ontario, we have the 7th highest rate of opioid users.” WindsorEssex County Health Unit – 2015. “Methamphetamine – Due to the high production of methamphetamine in Canada, there has been a noticeable increase in the crime rate in the area where the drug is used.” Canadian Centre for Addictions – 2019. CBC Windsor – “Meth-related admissions higher than opioids at WindsorEssex treatment centres” July 26, 2019. According to Stats Canada, “Windsor had a 21% jump in crime severity in 2018”. Leamington experiences the impact of criminals and/or people with addictions importing themselves to Leamington. Where do they stay? Unregulated housing, homes designated for one family where there is transience - 10 -15 people coming and going from, people in unsupervised rental units, housing through uncaring ‘slum-lords’. This is
an area that that could potentially be addressed by new or existing municipal by-laws. Another reality, regardless of who is policing Leamington, is that at any given time, officers may be off. Say if Leamington is designated to have 8 people working, there is almost always someone on vacation, on training, on light duties from injury, someone on maternity or parental leave, someone sick - meaning you will be less that person for that shift. But with the OPP, someone can be borrowed from one of the 5 municipalities if necessary. And if there is a major event, like a bad collision, more people can be sent to that area to cover off the ones tied up. And if things are really busy, Essex OPP can ask for help from Chatham OPP. I think that a lot of the public is not aware of some of the aforementioned facts. Being an effective police officer these days is constrained by many things. It is very frustrating for the police, along with the community. And some of the Leamington OPP officers are also members of the community, with the same concerns for their families and property as everyone else. Two of the most significant issues – addiction-related property crime and lack of incarceration by the courts – are out of police hands, no matter what service is being used. These are my opinions based on my observations as a police officer over the last 20 years. Name withheld by request
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