The Sundre RCMP detachment received 151 calls for service from March 16 to April 15, including the following:
Motor vehicle collisions 19
False alarms 12
Dangerous driving 12
Mischief 11
Break and enters/thefts 10
Suspicious person/vehicle 8
Disturb the peace 6
MVC-hit and run 5
Animal calls 4
Impaired driving 4
Assaults 3
Fraud 3
911 hang-up 1
Drive while disqualified 1
The following is a summary of a few of those calls:
Tip leads to arrest
On Thursday, April 14, members of the local RCMP detachment received a tip of a suspicious vehicle in the Sundre area. The occupants were said to be known to police for having a history of property related crimes. On Friday, April 15 at approximately 1 a.m., the vehicle was spotted on Highway 760. Based on the information provided to police by the public, a traffic stop was conducted. The driver and passenger were known to police for property related offences. During the interaction, police saw a hatchet inside the vehicle within reach of the driver. Police investigated further and the driver was found to be in further possession of two knives, a baseball bat and a baton style Taser. A 20-year-old male from Calgary was arrested and faces several weapon-related offences.
Early morning drunken target practice
On Friday, April 15 at approximately 4:40 a.m., a concerned citizen called police to report that he could see vehicle headlights on the east side of the Red Deer River just north of River Road. He further reported that he could hear numerous gunshots being fired. Police attended the scene and located two males that were attempting to leave the area in a pickup truck. Police conducted a traffic stop and found both the driver and passenger impaired by alcohol. A search of the vehicle turned up two restricted handguns. A 26-year-old male from Sundre was charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and weapons offences. David Victor Franke was officially charged with the following: impaired operation of a motor vehicle; impaired operation of a motor vehicle while blood alcohol content more than 80 mg%; unlawful transport of a firearm; and careless use of a firearm. Franke is scheduled to be in provincial court in Didsbury on Monday, May 16.
Fire destroys home
In the early morning of Friday, April 22, police attended the scene of a residential fire east of Sundre near the Highway 22 junction. Fire crews from Sundre and Olds, along with EMS, had been called by a passing motorist who saw flames coming through the roof of the home. Fire crews worked diligently to contain the fire to just the home, and the blaze was eventually extinguished. The home was being rented by a family that was fortunately out of town at the time of the fire. No one was injured in the blaze but the home was completely destroyed. As of last week, the cause of the fire had not yet been determined, but the matter is not suspicious.
Improper parking update
For the months of March and April, the RCMP and the Town of Sundre community peace officer began a two-part approach to deal with a growing number of parking and other non-moving infractions within town. Part 1 consisted of educational awareness whereby a notice was placed in the Town of Sundre's section of the Sundre Round Up. Additionally, a notice was sent out with the monthly utility bill. Warning letters were also sent to registered owners of vehicles that were found to be parked improperly. The second part of this initiative commenced on Sunday, May 1. Any vehicle found to be in violation will have the registered owner receive a violation ticket in the mail for the appropriate offence.
The Alberta Traffic Safety focus for the month of May will be young drivers/distracted drivers. One of the Sundre detachment's objectives is to contribute to safe roads so local RCMP members will be focusing on education and enforcement in this regard.
