SUNDRE – There were no devastating structure fires, fatal motor vehicle collisions, or even any alcohol-fuelled confrontations reported by emergency services throughout the holidays.
Sgt. Trent Sperlie, the Sundre RCMP detachment's commander, told the Advocate on Jan. 3 that aside from a New Year's Day break-in at an oil well site that was interrupted by a patrolling officer resulting in the arrest of a suspect, the season was largely uneventful.
The only other reported property crime over the holidays was an attempted break-in on Jan. 1 at a rural property along Twp. Rd. 324, where the owner suspected a relative had some time overnight tried to gain access to an outbuilding, said Sperlie.
“The lock on the shed was tampered with,” the sergeant said, adding charges were pending in that case.
Otherwise, the holidays were “actually very quiet,” he said, adding his department received 40 calls for service for the period of time from just before Christmas on Dec. 23 until Jan. 2.
Among them were two relatively minor single vehicle traffic collisions that did not result in any life-threatening injuries. In one incident, a motorist and lone occupant sustained minor injuries on Dec. 27 when their vehicle left the pavement and ended up going through a fence along Highway 27 around Range Road 42.
“EMS did attend and they did take the driver to Olds,” he said. “I don’t have any indication that there was any lingering or significant injuries.”
The other incident on Dec. 30 involved a motorist who struck a deer, he said.
While police wrote up a few traffic tickets for violations ranging from speeding and registration to faulty tail lights, officers did not find any impaired drivers, he said.
However, the sergeant said five driving complaints were received between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. One was a report about a motorist driving dangerously with the vehicle at one point hitting a ditch but managing to continue after, he said.
“The vehicle had left the scene and although members did follow the tracks to the residence, they weren’t able to find who was driving the vehicle.”
There are also times when reports of erratic driving boil down to the eye of the beholder.
“We do actually catch a lot of the people that are reported, but it turns out to be a dispute in who’s a better driver, not necessarily an erratic driver,” he said.
"Sometimes, somebody gets upset that somebody passes them."
There were also no alcohol-fuelled altercations reported at any of the local establishments during the season's celebrations, although members did respond on Dec. 31 between about 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to three domestic disputes involving family, he said.
Additionally, police laid charges over two failures to comply with probation orders, with both accused released on appearance notices and undertakings with conditions.
“This was reactive as opposed to proactive,” he said, adding police responded to tips that were called in.
And between Dec. 24 and Jan. 1, police attended six mental health calls, he said.
“In one case, they actually did apprehend somebody under the Mental Health Act and they were what you call ‘formed’ and taken to a designated facility for assessment,” he said.
“The rules for apprehension are fairly fairly strict,” he added. “So if we do, there’s a legitimate concern from the members on the scene.”
Local firefighters, meanwhile, responded to a dozen calls over the holiday period, said Sundre Fire Department Chief Ross Clews.
Among them was the single vehicle collision, five medical first responses, a couple of alarms, as well as four reports from concerned motorists who called in bush fires that were controlled debris pile burns, said Clews, adding when asked that there were no reported structure fires responded to.
“It was a quiet holiday season,” he said. “People were working and playing safe. It was a pleasant season.”
