ATHABASCA – Athabasca RCMP responded to 45 calls for service last week, including a sudden death that came about as a result of a suspected heroin overdose.
Staff Sgt. Paul Gilligan wasn’t able to provide a lot of details on the incident in an interview last week, but did say members are seeing a lot of heroin, and methamphetamine, in the area recently — not necessarily illegal opiate prescriptions, but actual heroin.
“There’s a lot of heroin in the community now, along with meth. We see a lot of it,” he said, adding some drugs are also being mixed together and the outcomes can be unpredictable.
A member from the Athabasca detachment also handed out the first fine in the area for not following public health orders related to COVID-19.
RCMP responded to a single vehicle collision after a woman drove into a field. Upon arriving, she told the officer she had tested positive for the virus nine days earlier. The woman had outstanding warrants and was being taken into custody anyway, but the officer determined she should have been isolating as well and fined her $1,000, which includes an additional victim fine surcharge of $200.
That was one of four motor vehicle collisions Athabasca members responded to last week, the others included a collision involving a water truck and another vehicle, and collisions with deer. No injuries were reported.
Gilligan went on to say there were also four assaults related to family violence reported.
There were also eight calls regarding suspicious people and vehicles, which Gilligan was glad to see, because that means people are reporting.
“When people see and report suspicious things are going on, that’s great. The more people that call in the better off we are. There's nothing worse than hearing three days later that something happened,” he said.
Additionally, Athabasca RCMP responded to two mental health calls; one for a missing person who was found soon after; and two fires — one in Calling Lake where a teepee was burned, and another structure fire south of Athabasca last Wednesday.
