Quarterly RCMP report

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

Staff Sgt. Kevin Reilly presented stats from the last quarter to town council earlier this year. In his report he outlined some of the areas the detachment has been focusing on, which areas need improvement, and which did well over the last quarter.
In January there was the homicide of Brenda Walker; Reilly outlined some of the police work involved in processing the scene and determining a suspect. This was the third homicide in the eight years he has been in Strathmore.
Something Reilly said is concerning him, and something that he plans to focus on over the next coming months, is traffic violations.
“Outside of the enhanced traffic shifts we’re down about 20 per cent. That’s a concern of mine and we’re going to be focusing on that because that tells me that we’ve got to look at whether we’re improving the traffic safety, or whether we’re just not getting out on the road enough and focusing on what we should be,” said Reilly.
The Crime Reduction Unit with Cnst. Shannon White have continued to work major files, and doing good work. Reilly said White has been active in the schools, teaching internet safety to one class at the high school, and to all students in Grade 7,8,9 at Holy Cross, and teaching the DARE program to Grade 6 students throughout town.
The habitual offender program is still successful. Five offenders have moved out of the community, which Reilly thinks is due to the fact they’re being checked on and monitored. He said there is a working partnership with probation and the courts to find out who’s coming in to the town and what conditions they may have. There are 11 habitual offenders being monitored.
White laid 21 criminal code charges in the last few months. Notable investigations include one where the detachment was notified there was a person that could be living in the area wanted on warrants. White investigated, found the person and was able to execute the warrant and get him incarcerated and sent back, to face fairly serious charges, kidnapping, forcible confinement and assault.
Another major investigation White was involved in started with an impaired driver that a nightshift member found. Part way through the investigation the officers found there was a possible chance of impersonating a police officer.
The suspect was travelling through the area from Saskatchewan to BC but had a number of police officer items. The officers obtained a search warrant, seized the items and had the suspect remanded into custody.
Reilly said it was major investigation because it involved a domestic situation in BC at two different detachments and the suspect was subsequently escorted back to BC to face those charges out there.
Regarding complaints on Facebook about break and enters in town Reilly said, “It wasn’t a horrible rash of 20 or 30 where I’ve seen in a number of different communities that I have worked in. There were approximately six or seven. We were able to identify suspects and two males were charged and multiple charges were laid against them for those.”
In February there were a number of vehicle thefts. Officers were able to investigate, work with the businesses, identify the suspect and also multiple charges where laid again.
Earlier this year a 14-year-old at risk youth was reported missing.
“Sometimes when youth go missing, they don’t want to be found, and that was the case in this situation. Initially the members on the watch were working that file, but it became too intensive and I got Shannon and Clint involved, both our crew member and our GIS member,” said Reilly.
He said the two worked extensively on the case with partners in K Division, in the missing persons unit. Reilly said a number of organizations were involved across the country, and a bulletin was released across Canada.
Two and a half months later, thanks to good police work, the missing teen was safely located and returned home. Reilly said it was the good investigative steps that the two officers put in that lead to finding the girl.