Crime
Ponoka RCMP make arrests after robbery and pursuit
February 5, 2018
Ponoka, Alberta – Three people have been charged with multiple offences after a crime spree ended in arrests and charges Saturday night.
On February 3, 2018 at approximately 6:30 p.m., Ponoka RCMP were dispatched to a theft at a liquor store. Upon arrival it was determined that a male suspect entered the store and stole three bottles of wine and fled.
At 6:45 p.m. Ponoka RCMP responded to a complaint of an attempted theft of a vehicle at a residence in north-west Ponoka with similar suspect descriptions. RCMP attempted to stop the vehicle but the vehicle fled. Due to public safety concerns no pursuit was initiated at this time.
At 7:30 p.m. Ponoka RCMP responded to a panic alarm at a store in Crestomere west of Ponoka. Suspects had entered the store attempting to steal liquor. Once the suspects departed the store a firearm was pointed at an employee.
At 8:00 p.m. Rimbey RCMP responded to an attempted vehicle theft in the town of Rimbey. RCMP located a similar suspect vehicle that was allegedly involved in the previous incidents and attempted to stop the vehicle. A pursuit ensued east bound on Highway 53 until the suspect vehicle went off-road right into the ditch and got stuck. Two of three suspects were arrested without incident and one suspect fled on foot. Police Dog Services was dispatched to assist but were unable to locate the outstanding suspect. The suspect vehicle was determined to be stolen. During this time period a vehicle was stolen from a neighbouring property by the third suspect.
Just before midnight, Ponoka RCMP were dispatched to a single vehicle collision on Highway 2-A north of Ponoka. Westaskiwin RCMP members arrived on scene at the same time a female victim was being pulled from the vehicle by one of the suspects. RCMP members attempted to effect an arrest when one RCMP member was assaulted. The remaining suspect was eventually arrested and another stolen vehicle was recovered.
Justice Rain (18) of Maskwacis is facing 11 Criminal Code charges including robbery with a firearm, flight from police, and possession of stolen property. He was remanded into custody for a court appearance of February 6, 2018 in Wetaskiwin.
Jerral Rabbit (18) of Maskwacis is facing 8 Criminal Code charges including pointing a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and flight from police. He was remanded into custody with a court appearance in Wetaskiwin scheduled for February 6, 2018.
A 16 year old male who cannot be named under the YCJA is facing a total of 23 charges including robbery with a firearm, flight from police, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and possession of property obtained by crime. He has been remanded into custody and is scheduled for a court appearance on February 7, 2018 in Wetaskiwin.
As this case is now before the courts, no further information will be provided.
We need your assistance. Cooperation between the RCMP and the public is instrumental to the success of our Crime Reduction efforts. The simple act of reporting any suspicious activity and/or crime provides us with the necessary information by which we gather intelligence.
Addictions
British Columbia to re-criminalize hard drug use in public after massive policy failure
From LifeSiteNews
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.
Beginning in early 2023, Trudeau’s federal policy, in effect, decriminalized hard drugs on a trial-run basis in British Columbia.
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.”
Alberta
Three Calgary massage parlours linked to human trafficking investigation
News release from the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT)
ALERT’s Human Trafficking unit has searched and closed three Calgary massage parlours. A year-long investigation has linked the businesses and its owner to suspected human trafficking.
ALERT arrested Hai (Anna) Yan Ye on April 16, 2024 and charged the 48-year-old with advertising sexual services, drug offences and firearms offences. The investigation remains ongoing and further charges are being contemplated.
Ye was linked to three commercial properties and two homes that were allegedly being used for illegal sexual activities and services. The massage parlours were closed following search warrant executions carried out by ALERT, the Calgary Police Service, and the RCMP:
- Seagull Massage at 1034 8 Avenue SW;
- 128 Massage at 1935 37 Street SW; and
- The One Massage Centre at 1919 31 Street SE.
- 1100-block of Hidden Valley Drive; and
- 3100-block of 12 Avenue SW.
As result of the search warrants, ALERT also seized:
- $15,000 in suspected proceeds of crime;
- Shotgun with ammunition; and
- Various amounts of drugs.
“We believe that these were immigrants being exploited into the sex trade. This has been a common trend that takes advantage of their unfamiliarity and vulnerability,” said Staff Sergeant Gord MacDonald, ALERT Human Trafficking.
Four suspected victims were identified and provided resources by ALERT’s Safety Network Coordinators.
ALERT’s investigation dates back to February 2023 when a tip was received about suspicious activity taking place at the since-closed Moonlight Massage. That location was closed during the investigation, in December 2023, when the landlord identified illegal suites on the premises.
The investigation involved the close cooperation with City of Calgary Emergency Management and Community Safety, Alberta’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) team, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the RCMP.
Ye was released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions.
Anyone with information about this investigation, or any case involving suspected human trafficking offences, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-266-1234.
ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.
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