BARRHEAD – Crime is on the rise. At least it seems to be, especially in the last month.
That is what Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds told County of Barrhead councillors at their April 5 meeting.
He said the last week was the most hectic, adding Barrhead RCMP members were involved in three vehicle pursuits.
Perhaps the most interesting of the three pursuits happened on April 2 and involved RCMP members from Barrhead, Westlock and Mayerthorpe.
The incident started in Barrhead when a member was alerted to a vehicle parked between two businesses, with the male driver appearing to be asleep at the wheel. The member attempted to check and wake the driver but could not because of a large dog in the back seat.
"He then rammed the police car," Dodds said.
He added the officer, who believed the driver was attempting to hit him, broke the front window and pepper-sprayed the interior of the car.
"He travelled for about 40-minutes with his window smashed in and pepper spray in his face," Dodds said.
The driver then led police on a lengthy pursuit to the Tiger Lily area before returning to Highway 18 and heading towards Mayerthorpe. The chase ended when Mayerthorpe RCMP stopped the vehicle after applying a spike belt.
The driver, a 42-year-old from Edmonton, was then taken into custody without further incident. Police recovered two stolen licence plates from inside the vehicle.
"He never exceeded the posted speed limit, and most of the time, he was below it, signaling all his turns," Dodds said.
Before that, on March 29, Barrhead RCMP responded to a report of a stolen 2020 Ford F150 truck, which the owner was able to track via GPS. Police caught up to it at the boat launch at Dolberg Lake.
Dodds said when the driver saw police, he decided to drive out onto the lake. Instead of attempting to pursue it, the truck's owner continued to monitor following it to Blue Ridge and apprehended the driver. Police attended the scene and took the 21-year-old Barrhead man into custody.
In an accompanying media release, Dodds said police "routinely seize weapons from criminals and many are under the influence of drugs" and therefore, for their safety, recommend that the public do not confront these individuals.
The last pursuit happened on April 4 when police were patrolling in the area of a known drug house. Dodds said they spotted a newer Camaro driven by a male wanted for a series of offences in Westlock.
"He habitually drives stolen cars between here and Westlock. He is armed and has said he will fight it out," Dodds said, adding due to the time of day and the potential threat to the public, the pursuit was terminated quickly.
He added that the 30-year-old Barrhead man remains at large and faces a growing number of charges when he is apprehended.
Dodds was before council to get final approval of the Barrhead RCMP Detachment's Annual Performance Plan.
The APP is a document that outlines the detachment's policing priorities and is created with input from the municipal governments that it serves as part of its public engagement component.
Councillors approved the detachment's plan to focus on drug enforcement and increased police visibility and instructed the reeve to sign the document when it is ready.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
