Damaged police snowmobiles, injuries and assaults – the region’s trails have seen it all. That according to Southern Georgian Bay OPP Inspector Andrew Ferguson who’s penned a letter to the public about the reckless behaviour officers have seen on trails this year. Since February 27th, officers have had to respond to one life-threatening snowmobile crash and this past weekend, officers came upon several sledders who’d been drinking and who saw fit to endanger the safety of police.
On Sunday night, Ferguson says an officer was purposely struck by a sled. That operator was arrested and charged with impaired and assaulting a police officer with a weapon. On Saturday night, police were also forced off a trail while trying to stop another group of snowmobiles. In that incident, a drinking driver was arrested, but not before an OPP snowmobile was severely damaged. The result of all this? Ferguson says officers will now be increasing their patrols on trails as long as the weather allows it.
