First off, we have a new top officer at the Turner Valley detachment. Staff Sergeant Laura Akitt is replacing Dwayne Helgeson who recently retired. The Western Wheel reports that Sgt Akitt grew up on a ranch north of Waterton Lakes National Park and attended school in Pincher Creek. She has been stationed in Canmore and was most recently with the High River RCMP. Sgt. Akitt’s experience should be ideally suited for Foothills County with its unique blend of being close to a major population centre, having some very rural roots, and proximal to a major recreation area to the west of us. We welcome Sgt. Akitt to our area and very much look forward to the HCRCWA increasing its relationship with the RCMP.
As you should be aware by now, there were a number of recurring break-ins at pubs in Bragg Creek (Rockies & Powderhorn) and at the Water’s Edge Pub in Priddis. As of November 21, Cochrane RCMP have arrested 2 individuals. “The public has been very supportive of our efforts in this investigation and we’re extremely pleased to report these results,” said Sergeant Ryan Singleton, Operations Support NCO of Cochrane Detachment. “This has been a comprehensive effort, and the investigation continues with support from several different units and detachments.”
Here is what you need to know regarding calling in various states of criminal activity. “911” should be used when there is an immediate and/or imminent risk of danger. The 403-933-4262 line should be called when it is not an immediate life or property threatening situation. Examples would include a crime that took place overnight, or information relating to a crime such as the B&E’s referenced above. The front desk line for the Turner Valley detachment is 403-933-7227 during office hours for all other police services.
We also have the HCRCWA line at 403- 931-2407 line which you can call, but only after you have called and reported the crime with the RCMP first. The call will be answered by myself. HCRCWA protocol is that we verify with the RCMP, get them to issue a message to HCRCWA, and then we fan the RCMP message out via email and telephone.
There is a telephone fraud circulating that is reportedly from the Department of Justice. The calls are a recorded message; the gist of which is that they are investigating a crime associated with your Social Security number. The message asks you to press “7” to call back. When I called the 403-933-4262 number, their advice for this scam and any other suspected telephone scam (some known current ones are WestJet & Visa) is “Don’t do anything. Don’t call back. Don’t give them any information. If it’s too late and you have already given out information, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre 24/7 line at 1-888-495-8501.”
In closing, JR has encouraged me to share with you a little story that I included at the end of an email to the rest of the HCRCWA executive. This is from the book March of the Mounties by Sir Cecil E. Denny. Denny was one of the initial 175 NWMP who marched out from the east to the west and brought law and order along the way.
Here is the story: “Sitting Bull and thousands of Sioux crossed into Canada after the Battle of Little Big Horn where they had just killed Custer & his men. 25 NWMP from Fort Walsh met a strong US Calvary contingent at the border. The next day, the Sioux, US Calvary & the NWMP met. The Sioux shook hands with the NWMP, but “haughtily ignored the US Calvary officers”. The US presented the terms of a Sioux surrender and the Sioux’s return to the US. Sitting Bull did not accept the terms of surrender, and so Colonel MacLeod addressed the Sioux. “Colonel MacLeod informed them that as trespassers on Canadian soil they could not look for assistance from the Queen’s Government. They would not be forced to return to the United States, however, so long as they were peaceable and obeyed the laws.” As the NWMP escorted the US Calvary back to the border, US Calvary officers expressed astonishment that such a small force (total of 60 NWMP at Fort Walsh) “could control the thousands of war-like men who roamed the plains and valleys”. The Sioux lived peacefully in Canada for a few years before finally returning to the US when the buffalo ran out.”
Dave Schroeder
HCRCWA Board Member
