Commission receives monthly update from police

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on November 23, 2024.

The Medicine Hat Police Commission was briefed by officers during its regular meeting Wednesday night held in the City Council chambers.

Traffic/crime

Local officers responded to three fairly serious vehicle collisions throughout October involving two motorcycles and a moped.

One accident occurred at the intersection at Dunmore Road and the Trans-Canada Highway that involved a moped.

Two motorcycles were struck by vehicles in two separate collisions that occurred on the 800 block of Gershaw Drive SW. and South Boundary Road and South Ridge Drive SE.

All three collisions remain under investigation and police are pursuing possibly laying charges.

St. Sgt. Jason Graham also highlighted officers’ efforts while attending a dispute on Oct. 28 involving a 33 year-old male who was in possession of a firearm.

Graham says the male left in a vehicle with a female acquaintance and refused to pull over when patrol officers attempted to stop his vehicle.

“The vehicle was later located in a remote area west of the city, near the river. It appeared as though the man had driven the vehicle off the road and over an embankment and landed on the south side of the river.”

With the assistance of HALO Air Rescue police were able to locate and arrest the male subject as well as locating a firearm in Hillside cemetery.

Sting Operation

In October Major Crimes Investigators performed an unprompted sting operation that led to the arrest of three “traveling criminals” from Calgary who were involved in the proliferating grandparent scam.

Insp. Joe West told the police commission a victim reported to police they had been contacted by a fraudsters who was pretending to be an employee of the victim’s bank and told the victim their account had been compromised and they needed to run an investigation that would cost the victim money.

“Luckily it was reported to us that this was in the process of occurring. The Major Crimes investigators sort of scrambled a sting operation together,” explained West. “And actually intervened and caught the fraudsters in the midst of trying to pick up money from the victim by posing as the victim.”

Three people were arrested and charged with fraud over $5,000. West applauded members of the Major Crimes Unit noting that some string operations require a long time to organize and script.

“And they did it on the fly and got it done within an afternoon,” said West.

Drone TrainingÂ

Two officers recently attended a two-day symposium in Calgary on drone support and showcased different ways that drones are being used by police.

Members of police forces in Saskatchewan and Ontario also attended the symposium to provide instruction along with Transport Canada.

“Just some really great opportunities. As the technology develops, so does the training and we’re jumping on that whenever we can.” said West.