R.C.M.P. Report from M.D. of Taber Council Meeting

By Heather Cameron
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At the June 27 M.D. of Taber Council meeting, Sergeant Hamill of the R.C.M.P provided the M.D. Council with the R.C.M.P. Report.

Sergeant Hamill reported to the M.D. that in May 2023, the detachment responded to 180 calls for service, with 150 of those being within the M.D. of Taber. 

There were also four impaired drivers caught last month, Sergeant Hamill said. 70 9-1-1 hangups were among those calls. In terms of criminal record checks, the detachment did 57; and six fingerprinting checks. Patrols, Sergeant Hamill said totaled 165 within the M.D., 16 of Enchant, 34 of Grassy Lake, 17 of Hays, one of the M.D Park, one of Enchant, and one of Chin Lake. 

The detachment also wrote 13 tickets last month and 11 of those were within the detachment area. A total of 24 tickets were written within the M.D. in the month of May. 

On top of all that, Sergeant Hamill said, the detachment laid charges in one criminal investigation where they responded to three complaints of family violence. The charges were ultimately laid because an offense had been committed, and proper support was provided to the victim.

Besides addressing criminal activity, the detachment gave two tours of their facility for two separate kindergarten classes from Vauxhall. Sergeant Hamill said he also attended Lethbridge’s Search and Rescue’s Annual General Meeting and presented certificates of appreciation for members that have had more than five years’ service with that unit. He also said that Lethbridge Search and Rescue has covered the detachment’s area since he arrived in the M.D. in January of 2022, and he has called them out twice as a search manager. 

Sergeant Hamill said he also attended McDonald’s and worked a three-hour shift at McHappy Day, an event that raised money for equipment for the local hospital. He said he also attended the Horizons Victims Services Open House and spoke to the attendees about the vital roles VSU plays.

Then, Sergeant Hamill compared provincial crimes from January to May 2022 to January to May 2023. Property Crimes, he said, is down 59 percent from last year, other criminal code violations is up one instance from last year, breaking and entering had 11 fewer instances in 2023, theft of motor vehicles is down by two instances in 2023, and theft under $5,000 has six fewer instances this year. 

Councillor Hildebrand gave a motion to receive the R.C.M.P report and the motion was passed unanimously.