Red Deer RCMP arrest numerous prolific offenders in targeted hot spots

Red Deer, Alberta – Red Deer RCMP recent arrests include the arrests of numerous prolific offenders identified through Pinpoint, the Red Deer crime reduction strategy; a number of offenders were arrested in stolen vehicles while police were patrolling identified crime hot spots, and several arrests were thanks to the tracking abilities of Red Deer police dogs. More arrests came thanks to tips from the public regarding stolen vehicles and suspicious activity.

December 22 – 20171719974

Shortly before 1:30 am on December 22, RCMP located a stolen truck as it drove in north Red Deer. The truck fled from RCMP into the Pines neighbourhood where officers quickly located it abandoned in a nearby alley. Police Dog Services attended and tracked the suspect to the foyer of an apartment building on Patterson Crescent, where she was taken into custody without incident. The truck had been reported stolen out of Leduc on December 20.

A 29 year old woman faces charge of dangerous operation of motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle while pursued by police, possession of stolen property and a number of traffic charges. Her name cannot be released at this time as those charges have not yet been sworn before the courts.

December 19 – 20171566703

On December 19, Red Deer RCMP located and arrested the second suspect in a personal robbery that took place the evening of November 18 when a man walking home through downtown Red Deer was assaulted by two men in an attempted robbery. RCMP arrested the first suspect on November 24, and identified the second suspect shortly afterward and issued a warrant for his arrest. RCMP located him at a residence at 10 am on December 19 while on a different call, and took him into custody without incident.

James Mitchell was wanted on 10 outstanding warrants out of Medicine Hat at the time of his arrest. He faces the following charges regarding the Red Deer incident on November 18:

· Criminal Code 344(1)(b) – Attempted rRobbery

· Criminal Code 145(3) – Fail to comply with conditions X 2

Mitchell was remanded to appear in court in Red Deer on December 19 and is scheduled to appear again on January 2 at 9:30 am.

December 16 – 20171696940

Shortly before midnight the night of December 16, RCMP on patrol in an area known for criminal activity located a stolen truck being driven by a female suspect. The truck fled police but RCMP located it nearby immediately thanks to a tip from the public, and arrested the woman without incident.

25 year old Madison Leigh Coutre was wanted on nine outstanding warrants at the time of her arrest for possession of stolen property (X 4), breach of probation (X 3), fail to attend court and fail to attend for fingerprinting. She now faces the following additional charges:

· Criminal Code 355(a) – Possession of stolen property over $5,000

· Criminal Code 145(3) – Fail to comply with conditions

· Criminal Code 733.1(1) – Fail to comply with probation order

Coutre is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on January 4 at 9:30 am.

December 16 – 20171693373

Shortly after 8 am on December 16, RCMP were called to a store to arrest a shoplifter who had been detained by store security. The suspect resisted arrest and attempted to assault police; he was subdued and arrested without injury to himself or to the arresting officers. He was found to be wanted on three outstanding warrants out of Edmonton.

37 year old Gary Reginald Mills faces the following charges:

· Criminal Code 270(1)(a) – Assault on police officer X 2

· Criminal Code 129(a) – Resist/ obstruct peace officer

· Criminal Code 430(4) – Mischief under $5,000 X 2

Mills is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on January 11 at 9:30 am.

December 15 – 20171691786

Shortly after 9:30 pm on December 15, RCMP responded to a report of a theft of vehicle in progress in Northwood Estates after a man intercepted a suspect in the process of stealing his truck and detained him until police arrived. RCMP immediately responded and took a 37 year old man into custody without incident.

37 year old Jason Romeo Denomme faces the following charges:

· Criminal Code 333.1 – Theft of truck

· Criminal Code 259(4) – Operate motor vehicle while disqualified

· CDSA 4(1) – Possession of Schedule I substance (methamphetamine)

Denomme was remanded to appear in court on December 20; he is scheduled to appear again on January 3 at 9:30 am.

December 14 – 20171682155

Shortly before 12:30 am on December 14, RCMP responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Riverside Industrial area and attended immediately. On arrival they located a parked Dodge truck with no license plate, with a male behind the wheel. The driver rammed the police car and fled at high speeds through the Normandeau and Glendale neighbourhoods before coming to a stop, likely due to an engine malfunction. The driver attempted to flee police on foot and resisted arrest but was taken into custody without injury to himself or to police officers.

29 year old Jesse Joseph Cecka faces the following charges:

· Criminal Code 129(a) – Resist/ obstruct peace officer

· Criminal Code 249(1)(a) – Dangerous operation of motor vehicle

· Criminal Code 249.1(1) – Operate motor vehicle while pursued by police

· Criminal Code 252(1)(b) – Fail to stop at scene

· Criminal Code 355(a) – Possession of stolen property over $5,000

· Criminal Code 145(3) – Fail to comply with conditions

· Criminal Code 430(4) – Mischief under $5,000

Cecka is scheduled to appear in court on January 5 at 9:30 am.

December 14 – 20171682444/ 20171682047

At 4 am on December 14, RCMP on patrol in an area known for criminal activity located a suspicious truck that fled police. RCMP didn’t pursue the truck but other police officers moved to intercept it as it fled and located it abandoned shortly afterward. Police Dog Services attended and tracked both suspects, who were taken into custody without incident. The female driver was arrested for possession of stolen property and the male passenger was arrested for a file earlier the same night where he was seen by police in a stolen vehicle and fled police on foot.

24 year old Derica Patricia Mercer faces the following charges:

· Criminal Code 56.1 – Illegal possession or trafficking in government documents

· Criminal Code 249(1)(a) – Dangerous operation of motor vehicle

· Criminal Code 249.1(1) – Operate motor vehicle while pursued by police

· Criminal Code 355(a) – Possession of stolen property over $5,000

· Criminal Code 355(b) – Possession of stolen property under $5,000 X 2

· TSA 51(a) – Drive without operator’s license

· TSA 52(1)(a) – Drive without registration

· TSA 54(1)(a) – Drive without insurance

Mercer was scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on December 21 and did not appear; her charges have now gone to warrant status.

The 32 year old male passenger faces a charge of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and a traffic charge. His name cannot be released at this time as those charges have not yet been sworn before the courts.

December 14 – 20171386449

In the early morning of December 14, RCMP located a woman who was wanted on a number of outstanding warrants after she failed to appear in court in Red Deer in November regarding the theft of two purses from two Red Deer fitness facilities in October and her subsequent use of one of the credit cards to purchase almost $1,000 in prepaid Visa cards.

At the time of her arrest on December 14, 27 year old Brittany Danielle Aebly was wanted on outstanding warrants for other files, as well, including possession for the purpose of trafficking (X 2), careless use of a firearm (X 4), possession of a firearm (X 4), possession of a weapon dangerous to the public (X 4), all out of Red Deer, and three warrants out of Grande Prairie for theft (X 2) and possession of counterfeit currency.

She also faces the following charges regarding the purse theft:

· Criminal Code 342(1)(a) – Theft, forgery, misuse of credit card

· Criminal Code 334(b) – Other theft under $5,000 X 3

· Criminal Code 145(2)(a) – Fail to attend court X 2

Aebly is scheduled to appear in court on January 9, 2018 at 9:30 am.

December 11 – 20171671413

At 4 pm on December 11, RCMP received several reports of a suspicious vehicle in the downtown and determined the truck had been reported stolen out of Red Deer earlier the same day. RCMP located the truck and executed a traffic stop after it pulled into a parking lot in West Park. The male driver and female passenger were arrested without incident; the female passenger was later released without charge. In the truck, RCMP located a large collection of tools that had been reported stolen in a commercial break and enter earlier the same day and were estimated to be worth $15,000. Those tools were returned to their owner. Police also seized several sets of vehicle keys that had been reported stolen.

41 year old Aaron James Campbell faces the following charges:

· Criminal Code 355(a) – Possession of stolen property over $5,000 X 3

· Criminal Code 145(3) – Fail to comply with conditions

· TSA 94(2) – Drive while unauthorized

· TSA 54(1)(a) – Drive without insurance

Campbell is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on January 10 at 9:30 am.

December 5 – 20171643061

At 1 pm on December 5, RCMP on patrol in an area known for criminal activity located a stolen car being driven by a female suspect. RCMP tracked the vehicle at a distance until it was parked and the driver had exited the car, then arrested her without incident. RCMP seized fentanyl and meth in quantities and packaging that indicated trafficking, and seized smaller amounts of heroin and ecstasy. The car had been reported stolen out of Red Deer on November 3 after it was left running and unlocked.

22 year old Reanne Brodersen faces the following charges:

· Criminal Code 355(a) – Possession of stolen property over $5,000

· Criminal Code 355(b) – Possession of stolen property under $5,000

· CDSA 5(2) – Possession of Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking X 2 (fentanyl, methamphetamine)

· CDSA 4(1) – Possession of Schedule I substance (heroin)

· CDSA 4(1) – Possession of Schedule III substance (ecstasy)

Brodersen is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on January 18, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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Addictions

Why can’t we just say no?

Published on May 4, 2024

Todayville

From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

By Susan Martinuk

Drug use and violence have become common place in hospitals. Drug-addicted patients openly smoke meth and fentanyl, and inject heroin. Dealers traffic illicit drugs. Nurses are harassed, forced to work amidst the toxic fumes from drugs and can’t confiscate weapons. In short, according to one nurse, “We’ve absolutely lost control.”

“Defining deviancy down” is a cultural philosophy that emerged in the United States during the 1990s.

It refers to society’s tendency to adjust its standards of deviancy “down,” so that behaviours which were once unacceptable become acceptable. Over time, this newly- acceptable behaviour can even become society’s norm.

Of course, the converse must also be true — society looks down on those who label social behaviours “wrong,” deeming them moralistic, judgemental or simply out of touch with the realities of modern life.

Thirty years later, this philosophy is entrenched in British Columbia politics and policies. The province has become a society that cannot say “no” to harmful or wrong behaviours related to drug use. It doesn’t matter if you view drug use as a medical issue, a law-and-order issue, or both – we have lost the ability to simply say “no” to harmful or wrong behaviour.

That much has become abundantly clear over the past two weeks as evidence mounts that BC’s experiment with decriminalization and safe supply of hard drugs is only making things worse.

A recently-leaked memo from BC’s Northern Health Authority shows the deleterious impact these measures have had on BC’s hospitals.

The memo instructs staff at the region’s hospitals to tolerate and not intervene with illegal drug use by patients. Apparently, staff should not be taking away any drugs or personal items like a knife or other weapons under four inches long. Staff cannot restrict visitors even if they are openly bringing illicit drugs into the hospital and conducting their drug transactions in the hallways.

The public was quite rightly outraged at the news and BC’s Health Minister Adrian Dix quickly attempted to contain the mess by saying that the memo was outdated and poorly worded.

But his facile excuses were quickly exposed by publication of the very clearly worded memo and by nurses from across the province who came forward to tell their stories of what is really happening in our hospitals.

The President of the BC Nurses Union, Adriane Gear, said the issue was “widespread” and “of significant magnitude.” She commented that the problems in hospitals spiked once the province decriminalized drugs. In a telling quote, she said, “Before there would be behaviours that just wouldn’t be tolerated, whereas now, because of decriminalization, it is being tolerated.”

Other nurses said the problem wasn’t limited to the Northern Health Authority. They came forward (both anonymously and openly) to say that drug use and violence have become common place in hospitals. Drug-addicted patients openly smoke meth and fentanyl, and inject heroin. Dealers traffic illicit drugs. Nurses are harassed, forced to work amidst the toxic fumes from drugs and can’t confiscate weapons. In short, according to one nurse, “We’ve absolutely lost control.”

People think that drug policies have no impact on those outside of drug circles – but what about those who have to share a room with a drug-smoking patient?

No wonder healthcare workers are demoralized and leaving in droves. Maybe it isn’t just related to the chaos of Covid.

The shibboleth of decriminalization faced further damage when Fiona Wilson, the deputy chief of Vancouver’s Police Department, testified before a federal Parliamentary committee to say that the policy has been a failure. There have been more negative impacts than positive, and no decreases in overdose deaths or the overdose rate. (If such data emerged from any other healthcare experiment, it would immediately be shut down).

Wison also confirmed that safe supply drugs are being re-directed to illegal markets and now account for 50% of safe supply drugs that are seized. Her words echoed those of BC’s nurses when she told the committee that the police, “have absolutely no authority to address the problem of drug use.”

Once Premier David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix stopped denying that drug use was occurring in hospitals, they continued their laissez-faire approach to illegal drugs with a plan to create “safe consumption sites” at hospitals. When that lacked public appeal, Mr. Dix said the province would establish a task force to study the issue.

What exactly needs to be studied?

The NDP government appears to be uninformed, at best, and dishonest, at worst. It has backed itself into a corner and is now taking frantic and even ludicrous steps to legitimize its experimental policy of decriminalization. The realities that show it is not working and is creating harm towards others and toward institutions that should be a haven for healing.

How quickly we have become a society that lacks the moral will – and the moral credibility – to just to say “no.”

Susan Martinuk is a Senior Fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and author of Patients at Risk: Exposing Canada’s Health-care Crisis.

Addictions

British Columbia to re-criminalize hard drug use in public after massive policy failure

Published on May 1, 2024

Todayville

From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

British Columbia premier David Eby announced that his province plans to re-criminalize hard drug use in public spaces after its decriminalization last year led to widespread social disorder.

British Columbia is asking the Trudeau government to roll back its drug decriminalization program after increased violence and continued overdoses.

On April 26, New Democratic Party (NDP) premier of British Columbia David Eby announced that he is working with Prime Minster Justin Trudeau’s federal government to re-criminalize drug use in public spaces, including inside hospitals, on transit, and in parks. British Columbia, under permission from the Trudeau government, had decriminalized such behavior in 2023.

“Keeping people safe is our highest priority,” Eby explained in a press release. “While we are caring and compassionate for those struggling with addiction, we do not accept street disorder that makes communities feel unsafe.”

“We’re taking action to make sure police have the tools they need to ensure safe and comfortable communities for everyone as we expand treatment options so people can stay alive and get better,” he continued.

Under the new regulations, police would be given the power to prevent drug use in all public places, including hospitals, restaurants, transit, parks and beaches.

However, drug use would remain legal at “a private residence or place where someone is legally sheltering, or at overdose prevention sites and drug checking locations.”

Eby’s concerns over drug use were echoed by Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth who said, “Our communities are facing big challenges. People are dying from deadly street drugs, and we see the issues with public use and disorder on our streets.”

“As we continue to go after the gangs and organized criminals who are making and trafficking toxic drugs, we’re taking action now to make it illegal to use drugs in public spaces, and to expand access to treatment to help people who need it most,” he promised.

Under the policy, the federal government began allowing people within the province to possess up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs without criminal penalty, but selling drugs remained a crime.

While British Columbia has not yet indicated it plans to re-criminalize possession, its decision to clamp down on public drug use presents a major departure from its previous tactics of continually liberalizing its attitude toward narcotic use.

Since being implemented, the province’s drug policy has been widely criticized, especially after it was found that the province broke three different drug-related overdose records in the first month the new law was in effect.

The effects of decriminalizing hard drugs in various parts of Canada has been exposed in Aaron Gunn’s recent documentary, Canada is Dying, and in U.K. Telegraph journalist Steven Edginton’s mini-documentary, Canada’s Woke Nightmare: A Warning to the West.  

Gunn says he documents the “general societal chaos and explosion of drug use in every major Canadian city.”  

“Overdose deaths are up 1,000 percent in the last 10 years,” he said in his film, adding that “[e]very day in Vancouver four people are randomly attacked.” 