The Bulletin

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Fort Macleod, Alberta - RCWA in Zone 1 will be hosting the Annual General Meeting at Fort Macleod & District Community Hall - 307 25th Street (Hwy #3W) Fort MacLeod, AB on February 14, 2009.

Registration has increased to $50.00 per person in accordance with other rising costs. The registration form will be on the flip side of the AGM flyer that will be mailed out within the next couple of weeks.

Message from the President

I trust everyone has had a great and safe summer, and that the fall harvest is well under way. In sine cases, I know, I know, already done.

Due to financial and other considerations, I am sorry to advise that the Fort Saskatchewan and area associations will not be hosting the Annual General Meeting in their area this coming February. I look forward to the time that they can and will put on a ‘Primo’ event for all of the other associations to enjoy. Thank you to Marlyene Tirschmann of Fort Saskatchewan and District RCW, and the other associations for the time and effort expended.

Fortunately, Fort MacLeod Crime Watch Association has stepped up to the bar, so please mark your calendars for February 14, 2009 (yes it is Valentine’s Day - bring your sweetie and make a day of it). Flyers will be going out to each association in the very near future with all of the details.

Fall rapidly approaches - snow has already been noted in a few communities. Along with ensuring the harvest is in, and the house and property is spruced up, be an example to your community. Safety first begins at home, security concerns us all. Be the first to take the proper steps to ensure your family and your property are protected.

“Shut off the ignition and put both hands out the window!”

Pretty clear instructions wouldn’t you say? The recipient of these demands was a person who had been stopped by the RCMP, for whatever, and the members demanded the driver comply with their demands.

Now put yourself in that position. You’re the driver. What would you do? Jump out of the vehicle and demand your rights? Jump out of the vehicle and shout, “@#$%?” Jump out of the vehicle, strut to the PC (Police car) asking for an explanation? Take off?

We hope not, because chances are you’d be in for a rude awakening.

A RCW member emailed that she was driving on Highway 97 East of Kamloops when she was pulled over by a Mountie. The member activated his PA (public address) system and told her to step out of the vehicle and place her hands on the vehicle’s roof. She did, and was immediately handcuffed and placed in the member’s vehicle. Checking her ID, the member discovered she was a dead ringer for a woman seen fleeing from a local bank robbery. She was released. She wasn’t traumatized, held no grudge and didn’t sue the RCMP for false arrest.

Had she resisted arrest, as was seen recently in another rural community when a suspect resisted arrest outside a local nightclub, she might have been Tasered. Fortunately she had the presence of mind-no booze, no drugs-not to resist and allowed the member to do her job. She wasn’t Tasered.

RCW wonders why the nightclub suspect, the incident for which the arresting member was charged, resisted arrest and invited Tasering.

Another RCW member wrote saying he was coming out of a rural business and was met by two Mounties. They asked if he was “John Smith”. A little confused at the request, “John” said, “Yes, what can I do for you?”

One member told him, “Turn around, face the wall, place your hands behind you. You’re under arrest.”

The arrestee’s questions regarding his arrest were met with silence. At the detachment he was fingerprinted and charged with spousal abuse. Two days in jail and his ex-spouse recanted, telling Mounties she was angry at her ex-husband and lied to police. This RCW member was smart enough not to resist, allowed himself to be arrested and the members to do their job. This RCW member wasn’t drunk or under the influence of drugs, and wasn’t verbally abusive to the members. RCW wonders if that had any bearing on the incident. He too wasn’t Tasered.

A rural bank called 911 to report a customer carrying a concealed firearm. Members surrounded the bank, waited for the suspect to exit and took him down hard, cuffed him and put him in a PC. The suspect didn’t resist. Actually he had little opportunity to. He was soon released to appear at a later date for stupidity. He was carrying a pellet pistol in a shoulder holster. Finally, members stopped a woman in an SUV for erratic driving. She smelled of alcohol. The member asked her to step out of the vehicle. She refused. Twice. The member advised her that if she did not exit her vehicle she would be Tasered. She refused. She was Tasered.

These examples are the exception to normal living for law-abiding citizens. But what about the drunk drivers and drug users who commit crimes under the influence where their brains are misfiring and unable to make rational decisions? What does it take for a member to be justified in arresting someone? Are we sufficiently supportive of the system to allow members to do their jobs and let the truth find its way? Or are we so boozed or drugged that we have no concept of reality and resist arrest-for whatever reason-and risk being Tasered?

A Mountie was recently found guilty for his part in Tasering. RCW wonders if this member, who is a Taser training officer, was not made a scapegoat for politicians wanting to placate voters critical of the Taser. RCW encourages readers to share their views at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for September 3, 2008
(BC RCW – submitted by Jon McCormick)

News from the Association(s) Front

SRCWA has also developed a new brochure designed to provide information and encourage membership. Should your Crime Watch Association wish to revise the information and use the brochure in your area, please call Lise 780-973-5586. The brochure is also on our website.I have attached it for the newsletter.

Fraud Alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lise Ruthardt, Communications SRCWA

Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch
Zone 4 2008 Fall Meeting and Elections

Agenda

09:00	Registration
10:00	Welcoming Remarks
10:15	Presentation
11:15	Break
11:30	Video Presentation
11:45	APRCW and local RCW Updates - bring your displays
12:15	Lunch
13:15	Presentation
14:15	Break
14:30	Break-out Sessions - Improving Our Effectiveness
15:30	Zone Business and Elections
15:45	Wrap-up Remarks - Announcements

Cost: $10.00 per person in advance

Important: Please RSVP by October 17, 2008
(for catering and materials advance planning!)

Contact us for more information, maps, updates and registration forms. We hope to post these at www.ruralcrimewatch.ca as well.

BRCW Address:
Box 633 Tofield AB T0B 4J0

Contact:
D. B. Cleveley
Director - Beaverhill Rural Crime Watch
Member - Zone 4 2008 Fall Meeting and Election Committee

Phone/Fax:
If you can call locally to Edmonton, dial Lo-Call 413 9153 THEN EITHER phone number below after the prompt:
Outside of the Edmonton local calling area - ALBERTA Toll-free Phone/Fax: 877 662 NEWS(6397)

Phone: 780 662 3223 - Residence;
780 662 NEWS(6397) - Business
FAX: 780 662 3900

Voicemail: Our lines have voicemail, allowing you to leave a message - whether our lines are busy or we're away from the phones. Leave your name, message and best way and time to contact you.

E-mail: outlook@uniserve.com

Branding could bring your horse home.

They used to hang horse thieves in the ‘old west’ days. Nowadays, there are a large number of horses being stolen every year, with little apparent consequence. Many horse have distinguishing marks, but unless you have photographed these markings, describing them to the authorities will not be very helpful.

Cpl. E.A Turco, RCMP Livestock asks: “Ever tried describing your horse to a stranger or a police officer with enough clarity that it could be identified? Hope you will never experience it, as it’s almost impossible.”(1) Electronic implants in your horse are an option, but they are not easily detected (and different implants can have different scanners). Thoroughbred horses are tattooed on their inside lower lip, some breeders even use ear nicks or tail cuts to identify, but the most effective way to identify your horse, and more importantly, for the authorities to identify your horse, is to apply a brand. If you do decide to brand your horse, be aware that it is illegal to design and apply a brand without properly registering it.

Your registered brand offers a very good means of visual identification and if your horse is stolen and sent to a slaughterhouse or feedlot in B.C. or Alberta or a public sale in Alberta, there is a Brand Inspector present who verifies these brands. If a horse is reported stolen and it has a registered brand, bulletins can be posted, and the brand inspector can identify the horse as stolen. (1)

To register a brand in Alberta, contact Livestock Identification Services. You can purchase a brand for $220, and you can use that brand for your lifetime. There are certain types of brands or letters you can or cannot register. The Livestock Identification Services (LIS) at http://www.lis-alberta..com has an extensive website, online application forms, and general information regarding the different ways to brand, the best metals for making brands and other helpful information.

Horses can be ‘hot’ branded, but most owners choose freeze branding. It is a technique where a frozen branding iron is applied to the hide and the colour pigment of the hair is destroyed, resulting in the growth of white hair instead of coloured hair. For best results, an iron dipped into a semen tank with liquid nitrogen is used. To find one of these tanks, you could try your local veterinarian, quite often they will rent you a tank for freeze branding.

In addition to the tank and brand, some sort of restraint is needed or a twitch if you do not have a suitable horse stock or squeeze (I don’t know too many people that have a horse squeeze besides the vet). The idea is to keep them as still as possible for those several seconds you will have to apply the brand.

Clip the hair very close and wash the area with alcohol, then apply the iron firmly using two hands to press evenly on the entire brand character. The branded area will swell for several days and then disappear pretty much until the regrowth of the white hair comes in. This method ensures the brand is readable any time of the year, whether winter coat or summer sheen.

The British Columbia livestock identification site suggests these times for liquid nitrogen freeze branding. For a colt, 6-12 seconds, for a adult horse, 8-12 seconds and for white haired animals the time should be increased by at least 10 seconds to completely destroy hair growth.

1. www.ruralcrimewatch.ab.ca/brand_horse.html.
Thanks to Les Burwash, Manager Horse Programs Ag-Industry Commercialization and Cpl. E.A. Turco for permission to use quote/information.

Article submitted by Liz Matheson,
reprinted from The Fairview Post, Sept. 16, 2008

The assault case against a 100 Mile House RCMP member concluded April 23 with a verdict forthcoming in June. Without going into details covered during the trial, RCW is providing readers with background information regarding how and when police use force. Alberta police were alerted that a suspect in several drive-by shootings was in a mall. Police arrived as the suspect was entering his vehicle. Police blocked the suspect’s rear escape, approached the vehicle, smashed both passenger side vehicles and identified themselves. The suspect immediately accelerated in reverse attempting escape. The suspect was Tasered. Without the Taser he would have been shot.

In another incident, a 300 pound impaired suspect refused to place his hands behind his back to be cuffed, was belligerent, abusive and resisted arrest. Officers not placing themselves in harms way to tackle the suspect was a no brainer. The suspect’s size negated pepper spray. Using their batons would have resulted in considerable suspect injury. He was Tasered and complied immediately. The suspect commented, “Man, that hurt. I should have done what you told me.”

According to the 100 Mile Free Press’ court coverage of the 100 Mile incident, the suspect refused to leave the vehicle, was abusive and was warned he’d be Tasered.

Faced with numerous threats, not knowing if any or all suspects were armed, what would you, the arm chair member, do? Taser International was founded by Rick Smith in 1993 who visioned a device modelled after Star Trek’s “phaser” without the vaporization capabilities. The model favoured by law enforcement is the X26 which debuted in 2003. The X26 can incapacitate a person for about five seconds by overpowering the electrical pulses normally used to control their muscle system. The person usually regains control instantly without lasting or adverse effects, although the jolt may leave them disoriented. The Taser uses .0021 amps. Your household current is 15 to 30 amps. Taser’s newest model has a digital camera which will detail all activity relating to its use.

Some police officers have refused Taser training saying they won’t make the decision between incapacitating or deadly force. These officers believe that if a suspect resists arrest, pepper spray and/or the baton will be used, disabling the suspect. If the officer’s life is in danger, the pistol will be drawn.

Numerous studies and law suits against Taser Int. have concluded that deaths occurring after Taser use are primarily the result of uncontrolable circumstances such as drugs and existing medical conditions.

According to Police Marksman’s Officer Survival, a law enforcement training periodical, “Officers can not allow themselves to become complacent and fail to use immediate physical hand-on force when it is required.”

Surrey fast food restaurants are now offering a new twist in customer service to assist police to nab impaired drivers. A member is stationed inside a drive-thru late at night listening to the speech patterns of drive-thru customers. Hearing slurred speech, the inside member radios a waiting officer outside to detain the would-be impaired driver.

British Columbia’s Rural Crime Watch was recently featured in Canadian law enforcement’s popular BlueLine magazine as well as the American Twenty-Four Seven. Questions concerning this column may be directed to www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Submitted by Jon McCormick,
BCRCWA from an article dated May7, 2008

Recruiting, Recruiting, Recruiting

Four students from Benalto School win province-wide art contest

Next year’s Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association calendar will feature three first-place drawings created by students from Benalto School.

Four students had winning entries in the annual calendar contest, from a total of 250 entries province-wide. Earning first place in the hand-drawn category were Jorja Budd (grade 1), Taylor Bredy (grade 2) and Tayler Vick (grade 6), and grade 5 student Sara MacAhonic won third place for computer art.

“We are very proud of our students,” said Betty Brassard, grade 3-4 teacher at Benalto. “We wanted our students to feel they are an important part of our community and we think the best place to promote good citizenship is right here.”

Last fall the school held an assembly so that students could learn about Rural Crime watch and the ways in which they could help keep the community safe. Interest in entering the provincial Rural Crime Watch calendar grew from there.

“We were starting to have some vandalism in the community and around our school last spring and fall, and I haven’t heard any more about it since our school became more involved in the rural Crime Watch program. I believe it’s having an impact,” said Mrs. Brassard. “We’re teaching students that residents in a community can’t be complacent. We all have to be aware and we all have to care.”

Benalto School has an enrolment of approximately 60 students in kindergarten to grade six. The students and staff were joined by several community partners to present plaques from the Solicitor General for the winning entries. Present at the assembly were Lee Kasper (Director for Zone 2, Alberta Provincial Crime Watch Association), Corporal Callihoo (Sylvan Lake RCMP), Peace Officer Simcoe (Red Deer County Patrol – Protective Services), Jackie Swainson (Chinook’s Edge School Division No. 73 Board) and Yvette Brideau (President, Benalto rural Crime Watch Society).

“We all work together to protect on another and keep our community beautiful,” said Mrs. Brideau. “Rural Crime Watch is about awareness, about reporting something that doesn’t seem right, and about watching out for one another. This all helps make our community safe.”

Prize money for first, second and third place winners was provided by Alberta Beef Producers.

Article written by Sandy Bexon,
Communications Officer for Chinook’s Edge School Division.
Submitted to The Bulletin by Yvette Brideau

Sylvan Lake News Friday, August 8, 2008
Two suspects caught destroying rural mailboxes

Two youths from Eckville have been arrested for destroying rural mail boxes in the Markerville and Benalto areas. Sylvan Lake RCMP received a message from Innisfail RCMP in the early morning hours last Thursday to watch for a pick-up truck with a loud muffler driving north in the Markerville area. The occupants were destroying rural mail boxes.

About 15 minutes later, at 1:a.m., the same truck was spotted on Range Road 24, south of Benalto, where the smashing of mailboxes continued. The vehicle was followed by a property owner until police were in a position to intercept the vehicle, said Sgt. Duncan Babchuk.

He credited Rural Crime Watch members for assisting RCMP in making the arrest. A 17 year old male driver and 16 year old male passenger were arrested for mischief to property under $5,000. They can’t be named, under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

“Currently, a total of 12 rural mailboxes have been reported to have been smashed. Both accused are facing a large number of charges relating to these incidents,” he said. “The driver was also charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. The passenger was additionally charged with one count under the Traffic Safety Act.”

Babchuk said the destruction of rural mailboxes has been an ongoing problem since February.

“A number of rural victims in the Benalto area have been required to repair or replace their boxes a total of five times,” he said. “The number of complaints have been numerous over the previous six months.”

He asked everyone who has further information regarding this activity to call Sylvan Lake RCMP at 403-887-3333 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Article written by Steve Dills, Sylvan Lake News
Submitted by Yvette Brideau

Crime Prevention and Restorative Justice

• The second annual Alberta restorative justice conference will be held November 14-15th, 2008 in Lethbridge, AB. Contact Bob Pike at (403) 320-3338 for details

Important Dates 2008

Submitted by Angela Renwick

Aphorism: A Short, Pointed Sentence Expressing a Wise or Clever Observation or a General Truth; Adage.

1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts later.
2. Money will buy a fine dog but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don't have a sense of humour, you probably don't have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job.
10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
11. There are! no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. Like this: It could be a right number.
13. No one ever says "It's only a game" when their team is winning.
14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
17. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)
18. Money can't buy happiness - but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.
19. After 50 if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead

Submitted by Brian Morrison

For contact information please contact the APRCWA office at 310-0000 (780) 422-0922.

Deadlines for Submission to the Bulletin: March 15, June 15, September 15 and November 15 Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association Contact Information

Phone: (780) 422-0922
Fax: (780) 644-7474
Email: aprcwa@interbaun.com
Website:www.ruralcrimewatch.ab.ca

Thank you to UFA Co-operative Limited, our sponsor for providing the printing and envelopes for this publication.

Disclaimer: Editorial opinions, reports and articles published herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association.