It’s been a quiet month in the High Country, our home in a paradise on earth, out here on the edge of the prairie somewhere west of Calgary. Previous articles in this series have suggested that there are snakes in our Garden of Eden: persons who would like to disrupt our paradise by expropriating for themselves some of our accoutrements. It seems that each time I draft a new article for the High Country News, I present a litany of examples that could make you think that Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, is really in charge of our High Country. Was that true for this past June? Let’s look at some recent incidents:
- During daylight hours, thieves broke into the detached garage of a house SW of Okotoks and stole a vehicle while the owners were in their home. Some observant neighbours reported seeing a group of suspicious, unknown individuals driving up and down the street where the theft occurred.
- Another incident: One of our members wrote “Individuals in an older white Suburban with a somewhat rusted tailgate drove up our driveway and started taking pictures of our house. When we stepped outside to investigate, the intruders took a few more quick photos then drove off. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get their license number.”
- Again: On June 1, an unknown car or truck smashed into the Canada Post mailboxes located at the intersection of Coal Mine Road and Route 22. It destroyed one bank of the boxes, but only the driver knows whether that collision was intentional or accidental. Two days later the bank of mailboxes and its content disappeared.
Let’s analyse those incidents.
- Forty-eight hours after the car theft, the R.C.M.P. arrested a suspect.
- The “paparazzi” remain unknown, but the incident underscores our need to be vigilant. Remember the acronym, ORR: Observe what is happening. Can you describe the persons or vehicles or both? Record what you observed, no matter how trivial. The R.C.M.P. needs your help. Only they are qualified to decide what is trivial and what is important. Report what you observed to the police. The persons who reported the car and photographer did the right thing, even though they were unable to get the license plate number of the car.
- The theft of the destroyed mailboxes turned out not to be a theft at all. Canada Post had removed the boxes for repair and returned them several days later.
Despite appearances and media reports, we live in a safe area. An observation about crime in the New York Times for May 29, 2019, could equally apply to us: “The seemingly constant barrage of news about criminal activity could lead people to conclude that the world is far more dangerous than it ever was. The reality is that the violent-crime rate in the United States has fallen sharply — by about 49 percent from 1993 to 2017, according to the FBI. Property crime has also declined significantly.” (Boldface mine.) The same is true here. The High Country Rural Crime Watch Association and other Crime Watch groups working with the R.C.M.P. are having a favorable effect. Newsletters like this one and community watch groups are making us all more aware and vigilant. People are taking responsibility for their own protection by taking preventative measures: installing gates; lighting their property; putting inside lights on timers so it always appears that someone is home; and setting up neighborhood watch groups.
Communication is important, and so is the accurate reporting of criminal activity. If you know of any incidents in our area, after you report the details to the police, please also E-Mail me the details at jrapriddis@gmail.com.
Being a member of a Rural Crime Watch Association, is an excellent way to stay informed. If you are not already a member of a Rural Crime Watch Association, you should join one. Thanks to the work of a few volunteers and a grant from Legacy Oil, membership in the H.C.R.C.W.A. brings these advantages:
- It is free.
- Members have no obligations.
- Members receive regular notices of criminal activity in our area. The information we publish regularly in this column is but a small fraction of the news circulated more frequently to our membership about crime in this area.
- New members who live in our area get a free High Country Rural Crime Watch Association sign.
- We often have free tutorial presentations on how best to protect your property.
To join, phone us at 403.931.2407 or visit our website for membership applications, tips, resources, and emergency phone numbers: www.hcrcwa.ca. Our Facebook page has more information: www.facebook.com/HighCountryRuralCrimeWatch.
So that’s the news from the High Country where all the grown-ups are youthful, and each child knows more about computers than either of his or her parents.
John Robin (‘J.R.’) Allen
Membership Coordinator, H.C.R.C.W.A.
www.hcrcwa.ca
