Columbia Valley RCMP Report

By S/Sgt. Marko Shehovac

I will soon be reporting to all mayors and councils as well as First Nation chiefs and councils with a yearend report for 2014. I will, however, leak some information to you before they get it!

Total calls for service in the detachment jurisdiction for 2014 were 2,687 compared to 2,861 for 2013.

For the following areas;

Invermere: 758 compared to 859 in 2013.

Radium Hot Springs: 247 compared to 252 in 2013.

Canal Flats: 85 compared to 101 in 2013.

Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment has been below the crime rate for all of Southeast District for the past 36 months. We have experienced a drop of violent persons crime from 141 in 2013 to 97 last year.

We have experienced a drop in property crime from 373 in 2013 to 304 in 2014. The biggest drop we can report on is theft from motor vehicles from 71 in 2013 to 24 in 2014 a 66% reduction.

Onstar alert leads to DUI

At 3 a.m. on Dec. 30, an Onstar alert from a 2014 Ford F150 provided a location of a possible problem on Horsethief Forest Service Road and Red Rock Road near Radium Hot Springs. Police attended and located the truck in the ditch.

Investigation revealed the 25-year-old male driver from Invermere had been drinking. The driver refused to provide a breath sample and as a result his licence was suspended for 90 days and vehicle impounded for 30 days. The driver was also charged with fail to keep right.

Drunk in public at Pano

At 12:15 a.m. on Dec. 31, detachment members attended to Panorama Mountain Village to assist Panorama security with an intoxicated male. A 20-year-old male from Calgary was arrested for drunk in public. Minor assault charges were not pursued by security.

Drunk in public and bleeding

Also at 12:15 a.m. on Dec. 31, a 24-year-old male from Invermere was located intoxicated and bleeding from an altercation with another person. This male was unable to assist police due to his state of intoxication. Once cleared from the hospital the male was lodged in cells and released in the morning with a ticket for being drunk in public.

Domestic disturbance separated

At 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 31, detachment members responded to a domestic disturbance complaint in the 1900 block of Gierlich Road. Both adults involved were intoxicated and provided conflicting stories and were not cooperative with police. It was agreed that the male would depart for the remainder of the evening and was driven by the officers to another location.

Vehicle abandoned on lake

Witness called the detachment at 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, indicating that a vehicle may have gone through the ice on Lake Windermere. A Subaru was located on the ice abandoned. No persons were observed in the area.

Drunk in public along the highway

At 2:15 a.m. on Jan. 1, the detachment responded to an intoxicated male on Highway 93/95 south of Valley Alley. A 47-year-old male from Windermere was located and lodged in cells. He was released in the morning with a ticket for being drunk in public.

Woman gets unruly at party

At 3:40 a.m. on Jan. 1, detachment members were called to a complaint of an intoxicated guest causing a disturbance and assaulting other guests. A 35-year-old female from Calgary was arrested for assault and mischief and lodged in cells. The victim of the assault did not wish to pursue charges.

Follow the evidence

In the police world there is a saying, follow the evidence and you will get to the truth. And, the truth will set you free. Not necessarily a police saying.

Case-in-point: Cst. Myers, a seasoned police officer, while on patrol at Panorama on New Years morning observed a male crouched over with his pants down to his ankles.

The seasoned officer that he is tells him this is something that should be investigated further. When the male sees Cst. Myers he quickly pulls up his pants and starts to walk away. Myers approached the male and the evidence nearby indicates the male defecated in public.

The male seeing that the police noticed the evidence immediately responds that the evidence is not his; belongs to someone else. Cst. Myers deduced that the fact the evidence was still steaming concluded the intoxicated male was in fact not telling the truth. The 24-year-old male from the United Kingdon was arrested for drunk in public, lodged in cells and released in the morning when sober with a ticket for being drunk in public as a reminder of his visit to the valley.

New Years Eve is never boring.

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