OPP prepare for 'beach day' bash
Article content
Area students won’t be the only ones attending Norfolk County’s beaches on Friday.
This week will see the first Friday in June, which brings with it the annual ‘beach day’ bash.
It’s a tradition that began many years ago when high school students from Norfolk, Brantford, Oxford and other regions skip class and hit the beaches in Port Dover, Turkey Point, and Long Point for the day.
It won’t just be kids flocking to the coast of Lake Erie though, so too will members of the Norfolk County OPP.
“Definitely they’re going to see an increased police presence down in the surrounding areas and beach areas,” said Norfolk OPP Const. Ed Sanchuk.
Sanchuk urged parents and caregivers of children thinking of attending to have a chat about proper conduct.
“Every year we seem to be getting people that are arrested or charged with assaults, sexual assaults, so when I hear time and time again that police should leave these kids alone, unfortunately, we need to have a good conversation with our kids about acting in a mature and responsible manner,” he said.
Police will be on the lookout for things such as trespassing, damage to property and underage drinking.
Members of the OPP won’t simply be on the beach but the roads as well, said Sanchuk.
“If you’re driving while you’re drunk or while you’re high I can guarantee you that we have zero tolerance for that,” he added.
For as long as the day has been going on, both of the region’s school boards have taken a business as usual approach to their classes.
“We’ve been consistent with other years where any unexcused or unexplained absence, the student would be considered truant,” said Tracy Austin, manager of communications and community relations for the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board. “So for any student who is not in school, our normal attendance procedure takes place where we contact home and ask for a reason that the student is truant.”
The public school board takes the same position on the day.
“Grand Erie District School Board does not endorse this day,” Kimberly Newhouse, Grand Erie’s manager of communications and community relations, wrote in an email. “Our focus is on student achievement. It is a regularly scheduled school day and Grand Erie students are expected to be in class. Students who are away must provide documentation to verify an absence.”
jrobinson@postmedia.com