Dundas Street West saw its share of excitement this week with two separate police man hunts in a span of two days.
Both incidents ended with no harm to the public, though one suspect was said to have been assaultive towards a police officer while in custody during Monday’s arrest.
At one point during Wednesday’s search, Napanee District Secondary School, J.J, O’Neill Catholic School and The Prince Charles School were put in a hold and secure to ensure safety of staff and students. Thankfully the procedure was lifted shortly after it was put in place, but it no doubt made for a nervous time for those inside the school as well as parents and guardians who received the notification. In the end it wound up being unnecessary-which is great. When it comes to student safety it’s always better to report on an abundance of caution as opposed to a safety step that should have been taken after the fact.
Following the second incident in as many days, some comments on social media indicated the town was going to hell in a hand basket. Admittedly it’s rarely a good thing when some of the bigger neighbouring news outlets report on an arrest made in Napanee, these two incidents were completely unrelated and the second one didn’t actually originate in Napanee.
Both of these incidents serve as a reminder of the risks our local police are willing to take to ensure public safety.
A call involving a suspect with a reported weapon is rare in this community. Still, the men and women of the Lennox and Addington OPP have to be prepared for that possibility and the reality is it could happen on any given day. More specifically, they often have to go into a situation without much information as to what they might find when they get there.
Police don’t always get a good rap and we’re certainly not going to say every officer is perfect. Reports of misconduct make national headlines-as they should, those chosen to wear a badge and protect their communities need to be held to a high standard. At the same time, those who rush into a dangerous situation while others are told to avoid the area deserve recognition. Yes it’s part of the job description when wearing the blue uniform, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t appreciate when they do it.
-Speaking of blue, this past Monday was what’s colloquially known as Blue Monday.
Far from an exact science, in essence the third Monday in January is deemed to be the most depressing day of the year. The holidays have come and gone, bills are mounting and the dark, cold days of winter are in full swing.
Everyone’s situation is different and everyone has their own battles to fight. Breaking stigmas around mental health have come a long way in recent years, but there’s still work to do. What’s important to remember is help is always available. This time of year in particular, taking steps to focus on one’s mental health is extremely important.
-Adam Prudhomme