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Rural Crime Watch Column for September 15, 2010

Rural Crime Watch Column for September 15, 2010
By Jonathan McCormick and Denny Fahrentholz
"If you see something, say something"


Preparing your child for school is no longer as simple as deciding between tuna or peanut butter. Today's child is at risk from a variety of dangers that stem from society's woes.

Participating on parent advisory committees, encouraging legislators to change laws and rallying neighbours to join Rural Crime Watch are necessary, but what do you teach your child to make her/him street safe?

Your first task is to check your neighbourhood. A tall order for ruralists. But it can be done and it's easier as a neighbourhood team. One rural family discovered during the summer that their children had been passing a grow-op. Five days a week, the children passed the operation with criminals coming and going in vans, cars delivering supplies and exiting with their product.

Walk the walk and know the route your child will take to and from school. Then examine any alternate routes she may be tempted to take. Rural neighbourhoods abound in short-cuts, some benign and others fraught with danger, both two legged and four.

Next, consider your child's curiosities. What might draw him away from the task of travelling to and from school? Is it a pet store, newsstand, the squirrel family in the old Aspen? Maybe the old abandoned barn in which they might seek shelter, the one ready to collapse at the slightest storm.

Small businesses are often helpful being a place your child could seek shelter while the staff reaches you by phone so introduce yourself.

Look at the physical aspects of the route. Does your child have to walk on a highway? Is there a designated roadside path with significant space for several children to walk side-by-side? Are there highway signs warning drivers of children on the highway? If your child waits for a bus at a pull-out, is there at least one parent present both morning and afternoon? Discuss the route in detail with other adults and with your child, not to create paranoia but to develop awareness.

If your child walks to school in town, make sure she does so with an adult.

Many urban neighbourhoods support Block Parents; a program which involves police approved residents offering an emergency haven for to and from school children. Rural Crime Watch signs and membership doesn't offer parents the same satisfaction due to the lack of police involvement in membership. But RCW membership does offer parents an opportunity to knock on doors, introduce yourself and your children and have an idea as to what your neighbourhood offers.

Familiarize yourself with your child's school, the principal and the teachers. Let them know of your support and seek theirs in return.

Most schools have a call-back system for children who are not at school. If school begins at 9 a.m., and your child isn't there and you haven't called, the school will call you. Make sure they have several numbers for you; yours and your partner's business phone numbers, relatives or several other people whom your child could to in an emergency. Have a family code word that your child would use in the event a stranger attempted to make contact.

One ruse abductors have used is to tell the child that "Mommy/Daddy has had an accident and the hospital sent me to bring you." Prevention is the key and the more your child knows how to avoid danger, the safer s/he will be.

Contact RCW if you have concerns regarding proper road signage or other school transportation or safety queries.

Rural Crime Watch Column for September 1, 2010

Rural Crime Watch Column for September 1, 2010
By Jonathan McCormick and Denny Fahrentholz
"If you see something,
say something..to Rural Crime Watch"

"What is Rural Crime Watch (RCW) and what can it do for me?"

Rural Crime Watch has been in British Columbia for more than a decade but prior to 2002, its effectiveness was spotty. When an RCMP member responsible for the program was transferred, RCW became dormant until another member took it over, or it collapsed.

That all changed in 2002 when the RCMP passed RCW over to volunteers who began the system anew in 100 Mile House under the supervision and direction of then Sgt. Kevon Sellers.

Rural Crime Watch is an investment in yourself/family, your home/property and the community. There is no membership application or fee. There are no meetings or community patrols.

What there is however is your having a heightened sense of your surroundings, identifying/marking/securing your personal property and equipment, placing yellow and black RCW property signs on your property, listing your phone number with the RCW computer fan-out system, watching out for your neighbours and otherwise letting criminals know you will not be a victim.

When law enforcers request the public's assistance in locating a criminal, missing person, vehicle or similar query, they record a message on the RCW computer which then distributes the message to all those listed. Within hours the community is in the investigative loop, watching and being vigilant.

RCMP supervisors speak of the system as being a crime prevention Cloak or Blanket, where the community is enveloped with the additional eyes and ears.

Whether a RCW member or not, you have access to their web site at www.ruralcrimewatch.com where you will find RCMP Bulletins and Successes for your community and the province, as well as the latest information on email and phone Scams and Hoaxes.

The latest Bulletins are warning residents to always lock your vehicle regardless of its location and remove all valuables from inside. If you have a garage door opener inside your vehicle you should garage the vehicle or take the opener inside your residence. Thieves can break into the vehicle and use the opener for access to your home. Lock the door leading from the garage to the house for additional security.

Scams will always be with us and we must be alert to their content so that we don't become a victim.

Criminals send out millions of emails to potential victims predicting that some recipients will respond. Fredrick Zongo says in his email that he is the manager of the Bank of Africa and if you follow his instructions you will receive thirty percent of dormant accounts that are worth millions.

Thieves are exchanging merchant PIN pads with their own devices which capture your personal information unbeknownst to you........until you find you have a zero bank balance. Merchants are encouraged to ensure the security of their PIN pads while the cash register is unattended.

ATM machines are being tampered in order to obtain your bank card personal ID number. Criminals install small cameras on the ATM that are focused on the PIN pads. "False Card Feeders" are also installed and record your card data. Law enforcers are advising you to shield the PIN pad with one hand when entering your secure numbers, even when nobody is around. They also encourage you to update your PIN routinely.

Are the rumours about Facebook's security true or false? Currently their system allows a person to photograph you without your permission then upload that photo to Facebook which will post it to your account...........without your permission. That may not be a problem unless you have nefarious intentions but what about your child who is on Facebook or another social network? How do you feel about Facebook users knowing his or her whereabouts or frequent haunts?

Rural Crime Watch, the crime prevention network that will assist you and your family in navigating our twenty-first century's complex society

Rural Crime Watch Column for August 18, 2010

By Jonathan McCormick and Denny Fahrentholz
"If you see something, say something... to Rural Crime Watch"


Hoax, Scam, Scare Tactic or Reality? You decide.
The following are passing through the internet and you need to know if they are worth your concern or not.
"You take a taxi in an urban community and are told by the driver you can pay with a debit card."
Scam! Law enforcers are warning the public that taxi drivers do not ask for or accept debit cards but expect either cash or credit card. Since the device in which the passenger placed her/his card captured the pin number, the thief has access to the passenger's bank account and even with a maximum daily withdrawal, it might be several days and thousands of dollars before the victim knows of the crime.
"Thieves are entering apartment buildings behind unsuspecting residents who open the outer door then proceed to their apartment, not looking back to see that a non-resident has entered behind them. Video surveillance shows thieves then prop the door open, haul in a utility bin and help themselves to whichever apartments have no one answering the door."
Reality! Police are warning residents to be alert to this operation and make sure your apartment building's main door is closed and locked after you. RCW suggests you consider a security device for your apartment and windows and well as the "barking doorknob" which emits the sound of a dog's angry response to the door knob being turned while you are absent.
"Car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or vehicle, write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN."
Hoax! According to Chrysler and GM, dealerships will require positive identification that the person requesting the key replacement is the registered owner and the vehicle must be towed to the dealership.
"If you are driving at night and eggs are thrown at your windshield, do not operate the wiper/spray as the eggs will become milky and block your vision more which will require you to pull to the side of the road where the thieves will be waiting."
Scare Tactic! Although eggs will become murky when mixed with water, law enforcers say there is no report of thieves using this tactic to force drivers to the side of the road.
"A man came over and offered his services as a painter to a female putting gas in her car and left his card. She said no, but accepted his card out of kindness and got in her car. She left the station and almost immediately felt dizzy and could not catch her breath. She realized that the odor was on her hand; the same hand which accepted the card from the gentleman at the gas station. As she pulled to the road side she noticed the man who gave her the card, pull up behind her."
Scare Tactic! Police say there is no evidence of this happening or that any chemical on a business card could produce such effects. This is an email to scare citizens, particularly women.
"A 20-year-old man stole a police vehicle and led law enforcers on a chase before crashing into several parked cars. The thief took the cruiser from the street, where it had been left running as the officer responded to a noise complaint."
None of the above! Come on now, do you really think law enforcers would leave a vehicle running with the keys in the ignition and allow anybody access to the vehicle's interior without a fail safe system on board? Leaving the vehicle running happens more often than we might think as officers respond to a night call and want to leave their flashing lights etc. operating without draining the battery.
You can verify a suspected Hoax, Scam or Scare Tactic at www.ruralcrimewatch.com
If you know of a crime or criminal activity please contact RCW after 9-1-1.

Rural Crime Watch Column for August 4, 2010

Facebook boasts 500 million members.

Are you one?

How important is it for you to let the world know your travel plans?

Law enforcers are warning residents not to place this personal information on Facebook or any other social networking system and don't tell everyone from the bakery clerk to the gas jockey you plan to be away. You are inviting a disaster.

Most people are not judicious with their security designation on Facebook thereby disbursing their information exponentially to conceivably hundreds of thieves. Some robbery enablers go so far as to post pictures of their home......the one they are leaving unattended.

Cpl. Janis Jean says, "We have this entire new world of opportunities for people to break into houses (enabled by social networking)". British Columbia Automobile Association's (BCAA) Harjeet Sihota advises you curb your desire to brag about a full day at the beach or other holiday itinerary until you return home.

Law enforcers further note that some social websites such as Twitter can use smart phone and GPS technology to disseminate users' exact location, giving thieves a live update of victims' itinerary.

In the same vein, police are asking residents, "When is a break and enter a break and enter? Is it so when a home owner leaves a door unlocked?"

Recently officers attended an incident where thieves entered a home through an open rear patio door and bound the residents. Victims said the evening was hot and they left the door open for air circulation. Be that as it may, they still were responsible for their own safety and allowed thieves entry. There are numerous alternatives available which would provide family security. Closing drapes during the day will keep the inside temperature down and installing a large fan in a hallway with bedroom doors open will generate circulating air. Close and lock all doors..... including the one from the garage to the house.

Law enforcers have responded to a slew of B&Es where power tools, cameras and iPods have been stolen from unlocked vehicles. Might insurance companies hit these criminal enablers with a surcharge?

Citizens also encourage criminals by not adhering to crime prevention personal habits.

Rural Crime Watch (RCW) has advised on numerous occasions to lock your vehicle doors immediately once you are seated and not wait for the moving vehicle to automatically lock them. A robbery victim did not and after visiting an ATM she was assaulted by a man with a knife at her driver's door. This crime could have been avoided by a simple manoeuvre.

Do not visit an ATM after dark. Choose one that is in a high density area rather than an isolated machine downtown after business hours when the area is deserted. As a courtesy stand well behind the person using the system in front of you then as you step forward, glance behind to ensure you are alone or the next user is far enough to your rear that s/he can't observe your actions. Concentrate on your task. Be aware of your surroundings while transacting. If extracting cash, place it in a front pocket. Your actions won't be observed. Don't turn from the machine and proceed to slip the money away. The money may already have been spotted. Walk to your vehicle being aware of your surroundings......is there another vehicle with someone watching you.....someone across the street or on the other side of the bread aisle if at a convenience store?

If you observe a crime or have any information regarding criminal activity, contact the police then RCW at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for July 7, 2010

  
  
  Rural Crime Watch is utilizing high tech systems in crime prevention programs.
  
   On a recent Saturday morning criminals struck by calling unsuspecting residents claiming to be associated with a local merchant and asking for a donation to a children's food program. A suspicious citizen called the named merchant and discovered the call was a scam. The merchant said the police weren't able to stop the calls. The merchant called Rural Crime Watch and it had an Alert out to 650 residents within hours. These recipients in turn called others which expanded citizens' knowledge exponentiallypotentially shutting down the scam.
  
  RCW is working with community merchants in developing a Business Watch which advises members of potential shop lifters and/or criminals in the community. Similar to the above scam response, merchants advise RCW of an incident and RCW relays that information to other merchants.
  
  Recall a television program from which society coined the phrase, "Smile, you're on candid camera."? RCW is assisting the business community in installing CCTVs. The equipment will be mounted inconspicuously and will record criminal movement in and around the community.
  
  The concept of capturing data and photographs has advanced to law enforcers who will revolutionize police suspect identification with their own version of a Smart Phone called MORIS, (Mobile Offender Recognition and Identification System). Moris allows officers to obtain pertinent information by submitting a suspect's photo. Within seconds Moris will search a variety of data bases and provide the law enforcer with pertinent data.
  
  Capturing data has been used for some time by law enforcement management and prosecutors against police officers involved in questionable procedures. Most recently a Seattle Police officer was video taped punching a woman. Initial details indicate the woman was assisting a friend who was being ticketed for jay-walking. The suspect allegedly pushed the officer who retaliated by punching her. A key component in the investigation will be the Youtube video.
  
  But civilian recording of police encounters with citizens is producing officer backlash.
  
  One officer supported the above incident, "Some people have no respect. (Do people really think) he should've talked to her, and walked away? You have to slam her, cuff and stuff her." Presumably he means place her in a police car.
  
  While another officer viewed the incident differently, "What he communicated is that he wasn't too sure or confident about what he was doing."
  
  The video instigated a gender debate that a female officer might have handled the situation differently given their superior communication skills. Commented one officer, "Apparently some male officers have a problem with women - or is it (just with) females who are more qualified?"
  
  Civilian video tapes have exonerated officers as noted in an incident where a suspect claimed an officer slammed the suspect's head through a police car window. The video showed the suspect smashed the window with his fist.
  
  Is there a community backlash with this technology endangering citizens and officers? Do law enforcers hesitate to act given a bevy of photographers? Or might officers proceed with caution, utilizing other skills rather than brute force, possibly being less aggressive in light of video scrutiny?
  
  Every person with a cell or smart phone is a video photographer, the result being, information, good or bad, is readily available. Robert Dziekanski may have died without an investigation had it not been for the citizen with the cell phone.
  
  RCW welcomes your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com and encourage residents to contact us with any crime prevention concern.
  
  RCW extends its condolences to the family of RCMP officer Chelsey Robinson of Alberta's "K" Division who died from a collision with a semitrailer on the Yellowhead highway.
  
  

Rural Crime Watch Column for June 23, 2010

Facebook, My Space and similar social networking sites have long been predator havens, drawing in teenagers with tantalizing verbiage often resulting in a meeting with the child molester.

The RCMP and other North American police agencies have many law enforcers baiting predators, bringing them out in the open where they are arrested, tried and incarcerated.

Rural Crime Watch has drawn parents' attention to this threat in numerous columns and encouraged vigilance with teen use of smart phones and similar devices where adult monitoring is difficult or impossible. Parents can insist their child's computer be located in an open location in the home but they can't regulate the smart phone in a child's pocket or backpack. Teens text and internet surf while on their way to, from and during the school day. Some spend weekends on their devices taking advantage of their unlimited internet plans.

Trust is a major parental safety tool in dealing with a child's exposure to the world through the internet but the trust takes years to develop and can evaporate in an instant or incident. Last year Montreal Police were warned of a child communicating with an adult male from Europe. The police discovered the child had made arrangements to meet the adult at a Montreal hotel. The adult was arrested and faces charges.

What are your summer plans for your child? Have you developed the trust that will give you peace of mind when you leave her for hours on her own? Do you have plans for him to be engaged in adult sponsored/controlled activities or is he free to roam the community or surf the net at his leisure?

Some parents haven't a clue to their child's activity at any time let alone during the summer. Ask your community Citizens on Patrol (COP) members who will tell you of the number of teens walking your streets at two o'clock in the morning. Might they be coming back from a LG Party?

The RCMP is warning parents about high school boys who have been using Facebook to lure 12-13 year old girls to "Little Girl-LG" parties where the boys entice the girls with alcohol then lead the girls to sexual activities. Although police monitor these predator sites, the messages are dispatched so quickly law enforcers are being reactive rather than proactive.

Sociologists and teen counsellors say that older boys trying to meet younger girls is nothing new but the calculation and the predatory nature of the action is what is most disturbing to many professionals.

These LG procurers should meet "Ben."

"We had someone breaking into homes and molesting children," commented RCMP's Canine Unit Cpl. Cy Gorman. The suspect eluded law enforcers on several occasions until Cst. "Ben" tracked him through snow, flooded roads, a playground and across two city kilometres, all areas with intense conflicting scents. "Ben" caught the suspect who is now serving seven years and is listed on the National Sexual Offenders registry.

The RCMP is advising parents:
"If your kids are going to a party, call ahead to ensure parental supervision will be present.
Educated kids on the risks involved in under age drinking."

They concur with RCW regarding home computers and social networking sites.

Rural Crime Watch encourages parents to know the adults at the home where the party will take place, enforce your family curfew and don't allow your child to bully her way into your abandoning this responsibility. One community recoiled when it was revealed that a baseball coach was the alcohol supplier for the high school graduating class.

We welcome your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for June 9, 2010

Recently the 100 Mile House Chamber of Commerce and Rural Crime Watch hosted a Robbery Prevention Seminar for merchants and chamber members. Similar events are planned for other British Columbia rural communities in the coming months.
    
     Cst. Matt Ziemer of the 100 Mile Detachment made the power point presentation which was recorded by Paul Luft. Ziemer detailed robbery prevention measures which included suspect profiling which gave merchants and their employees an overview on how to spot someone planning a robbery. These are invaluable tools which can be obtained by contacting Rural Crime Watch at www.ruralcrimewatch.com
    
    In addition to experiencing the robbery prevention process, merchants organized themselves into a Business Watch, which involves sharing information regarding shop-lifters and other criminal activities. This information can also be obtained from RCW.
    
    Criminals often think they can come to rural communities and steal with impunity. Not so. They also think that due to our intricate system of forestry and other bush roads their escape is guaranteed.
    Also false.
    
    Not only are they sadly mistaken, but their ignorance could result in a big chunk of their hide ending in the mouth of a four legged constable. On numerous occasions in rural apprehension incidents, the canine unit was what brought the fleeing suspect to ground...down and out.
    
    Cst. Ziemer educated merchants in the philosophy of burglar alarms, the unobtrusive panic button being worn externally on a clerk's attire, sending a silent alarm to the police department. Rural Crime Watch added to the conversation with information regarding their executive being after business hours first responders to a tripped alarm.
    
    The RCMP shared with attendees that the customer doesn't have the right to be served, ergo; the merchant can ask the unwelcome customer to leave. Rural Crime Watch suggested merchants adopt a no hoodie policy which requires a door sign, "Please remove Hoodies." None of the participating merchants currently using this crime prevention procedure have had customers object.
    
    Merchants expressed their concern regarding what they felt was law enforcement's lackadaisical approach to shop lifters and theft under $5,000.00. That was when Restorative Justice was introduced and explained with a comforting reception by merchants who were pleased that thieves would be subjected to community justice which involves the accused having to face the victims and their families, the police and in the case of a crime against a school, classmates, within 30 days.
    
    RCW has participated in a number of facilitations and notes Restorative Justice's impressive 97% success rate which includes restoration in the case of graffiti or restitution when money or goods are the items of theft.
    We wrote previously of law enforcers' personal safety and commented that even $100,000.00 a year would not be sufficient for an officer to put her/his life at risk unnecessarily. We commented previously that the Taser overall can cause less suspect bodily injury than night sticks/batons and/or officer defensive tactic techniques-broken arms/legs.
    
    An unfortunate incident in Surrey, British Columbia proves our point. 46 year old David Stitt got into a fight with a Surrey Mountie after the member attended Stitt's residence, responding to a complaint that Stitt had numerous "encounters" with motorists. Stitt attacked the member who attempted to subdue him with pepper spray, then defensive tactics with a baton, neither of which worked. The member was assisted by two Good Samaritans and Stitt was subdued and restrained. While enroot to the police car Stitt collapsed. Two days later he died.
    
    A three day inquest indicated that Stitt died of "cardiorespiratory arrest brought on by acute and chronic cocaine use."
    
    We welcome your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com and watch for Courage in RED to return in the fall.
    

Rural Crime Watch Column for May 19, 2010

By Jon McCormick & Denny Fahrentholz


Recently a semi-truck operator and the driver of a SUV got into a brawl at a stop-light on Highway 97 in 100 Mile House. Details are unavailable from the Mounties as it is an ongoing investigation but RCW interviewed several witnesses who concurred that the SUV stopped at the light in front of Tim Horton's with the semi behind. Both guys got out and started fighting. One witness said he overheard the men shouting about one cutting the other off on the highway. Are these people crazy?

Even in urban mania, this behaviour is absurd. Having noted that, do you think you're capable of road rage, given someone pushes your buttons?

You ever flip someone the finger? Had it done to you? What motivated you to get so angry and out of control that you would present a stranger with the vulgar gesture? How did you feel being the recipient? This and similar behaviours have created a motor vehicle safety problem that is growing exponentially manifesting itself in rural Canada.

Are you a candidate forRoad Rage? You've probably associated the behaviour with urbanites. Expand your paradigm to include everywhere. Road Rage is alive and flourishing in Canada and making its way to rural communities.

The Journal of Adolescent Health indicates twenty percent of male and female students experienced violence in the past six months. Researchers believe the violence is about power and control, but what would prompt such behaviour? Could the pressure be similar to that experienced by thousands of commuters fearful for their jobs in a declining economy?

Take two drivers who share the stress of job, family and finances. Add summer heat and bumper to bumper traffic and you have a recipe for Road Rage, or, in the case of the Cariboo encounter expand that to Road Rage by dysfunctional people.

That was the case recently in Port Mann, outside Vancouver, B.C.; Monday, 7 a.m., a grey pickup truck was travelling west on Highway 1 when it changed lanes in front of a dark pickup. Dark Pickup Guy apparently got angry and forced the grey pick-up into another lane. In the move, the Grey Pickup clipped a large truck and Grey Pick-up rolled over cement barriers and into a ditch sending all occupants to the hospital while Dark Pickup Guy took off.

In another incident, a Chevrolet Silverado tried to pass a Ford pick-up on a rural stretch of a Langley, B.C. highway around 2 a.m. In the process the Ford driver forced the Silverado off the road, then took off. Not satisfied with vehicle damage and obviously still angered by someone attempting to pass "Him", the Ford driver returned and smashed into the Silverado killing the driver. Road Rage resulting in death. Is that where we are morally?

Why didn't bystanders get involved and stop the rutting males in 100 Mile House before one needed medical aid? Have ruralists succumed to the metropolis mentality of not wanting to get involved?

RCW advises that common courtesy be your norm and if you're harbouring anger or animosities while driving, stop, take a break and refocus. If you're harassed by another driver, don't stop to "discuss" the issue, pull over and let the other vehicle pass. If the other driver insists on a confrontation, multitask and call 911!

But remember, ruralists are ranchers, farmers, trappers, hunters, cowboys/girls and a multitude of folks who will respond to aggression with aggression and if you are like the Cariboo Wacko, you could be the recipient of a lengthy hospital stay.

We encourage you to watch Courage in RED on the SCN network and share your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for May 5, 2010

Recently we wrote of Cst. Ryan Wilton, a Kamloops RCMP officer whose life was threatened with a sawed-off .12 gauge shotgun by eighteen year old Garret Gertz. Gertz received four years, the minimum sentence for robbery with a prohibited weapon. Rural Crime Watch asked if four years for the attempted murder of a police officer was sufficient and if it might be time for communities to instigate Court Watch where citizens sit in on capital criminal trials and report their findings through the media, particularly the sentencing.

MP Cathy McLeod was kind enough to share pending legislation, Federal Bill C-2. Its preamble states, "The Supreme Court of Canada concluded in 1987 that a mandatory minimum seven years for importing or exporting a narcotic constituted cruel and unusual punishment because it failed to take into account the nature and quantity of the substance, the reason for the offence, or the absence of any previous convictions."

According to McLeod's office, Canadian juries have the latitude to not convict if they believe the mandatory sentence is too harsh. A survey of Canadian judges found that slightly over half felt that mandatory sentencing laws impinged on their ability to impose a just sentence.

During a town meeting held on juvenile mandatory sentencing, a judge stated that he favoured a middle of the road jail time because he knew the court of appeals would always reverse a mandatory sentence.

You can see the political and judicial problem; the political mood is for longer sentences while the judicial is for minimum or middle of the road jail times.

Are longer sentences deterrents? Well, as one high school student put it in his grade eleven thesis, "Full Life Sentence as a Deterrent, when you're behind bars till you die, you can't kill again". The same philosophy could be said for all violent offenders......they're behind bars and not a threat to society. Longer sentences tend to have the opposite affect, creating bitter and hardened criminals who reflect negatively on society that put them away for such long periods without a chance to change and become contributing members of society.

Longer sentences costs money. Big money! The United States calculates $180,000 yearly to house an inmate for life. Fifty years incarceration could be ten million per inmate. It costs Corrections Canada $110,223 to keep an inmate in a maximum-security institution for a year.

It will be many years before Canada is out of the current financial hole. Do we want to allocate our limited resources to house criminals longer?

Do we want to build additional prisons including Super-Max facilities and put career criminals away for lengthy incarceration? Canada's massive landscape would be ideal for the Pelican Bay Super-Max (near Crescent City, Calif.) style prisons. PBSM was opened in 1989 at a cost of $290 million. It is a 275-acre site where most inmates are from other prisons with behaviour issues and over half are serving life sentences. Currently there are 3300 inmates, 1050 over capacity. Prisoners are confined to their cells 23 hours a day, with the remaining hour and a half used strictly for exercising and showering. These prisons would be a tremendous financial boon with hundreds of well paying long term jobs. Is that incentive enough?

The cost of housing habitual criminals has turned against American law makers with huge unmanageable incarceration costs. California and other states have initiated early release of thousands of criminals as a cost saving measure and their corrections is evaluating Canada's rehabilitation system versus lengthy 165 year Bernie Maloff style sentences.

Watch Courage in Red and share your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for April 21, 2010

Officer Steve Bose was called to a domestic dispute where a woman had dialled 911 asking for help, her drunken husband was out of control. Bose and his partner separated both parties. Bose was talking the husband down when without warning the 6'4" 120 kilo (260 pound) husband smashed his fist into Bose's face.

  Bose's partner, Jamie Sullivan, came to Bose's aid Tasering the attacker without success. All Bose's defensive tactics were deployed unsuccessfully until he pulled his service semi-automatic. Bose's first round went into the attacker's leg and yet the onslaught continued. A second round ended the fight and saved Bose's life.

  Bose suffered extensive cuts, lacerations and almost the loss of one eye.

  Bose was exonerated of any wrong doing after the officer-involved shooting investigation which included testimony of "use of force" expert Dr. Bill Lewinski. Lewinski referred to the attacker as, "An irrational person who was distraught and dangerous..... He planned to kill the officer with his empty hands."

  Bose's employer, the city of Waterloo, plans a two day community seminar September '10 on the truths and myths of officer-involved shootings and the realities of police use of force.

  Cst. Ryan Wilton, a Kamloops RCMP officer, was recently attacked with a sawed-off shotgun by 18 year old Garret Getz who received a four year sentence for his attempted murder of a police officer.

  How much force should Cst. Ryan Wilton have been allowed to deploy against the shotgun wielding Garret Getz? There can't be an argument questioning whether Gertz intended to kill Wilton because Gertz admitted to the threat during his court appearance.

  Cst. Wilton is not alone in his fending off attacks. His colleagues, two Alberta Mounties, received severe injuries, including broken facial bones, when they were attacked while making an arrest of a suspect wanted on outstanding warrants. Both officers utilized their training to repel their attackers with non-lethal tactics, to no avail. Officers escaped and waited for back-up. Patrick Carifelle, Keith Carifelle and Clinton Carifelle are being held without bail awaiting their court appearance in Peace River on April 12.

  This was an attack to cause grievous bodily harm. Should the members have used deadly force immediately before they were overpowered? Or, should police officers be allowed to utilize defensive tactics that include the breaking of legs/arms and similar tactics that stop a fight immediately?

  Recently in Victoria, law enforcement officers responded to a bar fight where eight individuals were brawling. During the melee, officers forced the fighters to the ground to handcuff and control each individual. This You Tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5I7IBd_MmM shows a combatant resisting officers' demands to comply and put his hands behind his back. Forceful kicks and punches by officers were required for their own safety and that of bystanders to get the law breaker to comply and thereby restore order.

  Rural Crime Watch believes law enforcement officers should have the latitude to apply sufficient force to maintain control and to maximize their personal safety, whether it results in the physical injury to the suspect or, in the case of an officer's safety in jeopardy, suspect death, without hesitating for fear of administrative or society's castigation.

  Watch Courage in Red and share your views at www.ruralcrimewatch.com
  

Read our columns to gain a perspective of law enforcement.

Updated: Wed. Mar. 24 2010 6:44 AM ET
  
See acceptable force being used: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5I7IBd_MmM

  VICTORIA, B.C. — The Victoria Police Department is investigating its own officers after a violent arrest was caught on camera and posted to YouTube.
  
  Police spokesman Sgt. Grant Hamilton says officers responded to a fight involving eight males early Sunday morning. He says when police arrived on the scene, they found one man being kicked in the head and ended up taking six others into custody.
  
  But the 56-second YouTube clip appears to show one officer repeatedly kicking a man who's already been restrained.
  
  The officer then yells at another male to get down on the ground and when the man complies, the officer and a fellow policeman allegedly kick him in the stomach and back.
  
  Hamilton says the office of the police complaint commissioner has been notified and is monitoring the investigation, which will be led by the force's professional standards section.
  
  Hamilton says the man who was kicked in the head was taken to hospital but has since been released and is not co-operating with police. The six men who were taken into custody were released without charges.
  

Rural Crime Watch Column for April 7, 2010.

Rural Crime Watch Column for April 7, 2010
By Jon McCormick & Denny Fahrentholz



Do you remember the tragedy at Columbine High School eleven years ago? Recently, three miles from Columbine, in Littleton, Colorado, a 32 year-old gunman opened fire in the school parking lot with a rifle. He hit two students and was taking aim at another when he was tackled by a math teacher who pinned him to the ground.
The two students are recovering in a near-by hospital. Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink is praising teacher David Benke as a hero.
British Columbia's Cariboo has its own hero/sheepdog in a Williams Lake school teacher who tackled a student who had discharged a handgun on a school bus. And of course we have Port Alberni's sheepdog Dennis Galloway who put the brakes on an armed bandit bent on killing Galloway and his wife.
Port Alberni has another sheepdog, a teen who told her parents and they successfully warned Washington State police of a planned school shooting she discovered on Facebook. Brewster, Washington Police Chief Ron Oules said they arrested 17 year old Charles Mustoe, a Brewster High School teen and seized a number of firearms. Mustoe planned the attack for April 20th, the 12th anniversary of the Columbine shootings.
What about the men and women we pay to be our daily sheepdogs? They put their lives on the line with little if any gratitude. Then to heap insult onto a thankless job, the justice system doesn't back their actions with punitive jail time for offenders. Recently, Cst. Ryan Wilton, a Kamloops RCMP officer, was working a drug undercover operation when a teenager stuck a sawed-off shotgun in his face. Garret Getz, 18 pleaded guilty to robbery with a prohibited weapon and received four years. Four years for attempted murder of a police officer.
Court documents showed that Getz placed the shotgun to the officer's head and told him to hand over the $7,000 the officer brought to the drug deal, or he'd be shot.
The Mountie's cover team arrived quickly. Gertz tried to flee and was taken down by the Cst. Wilton. None of us can put ourselves in Wilton's position, but try for a moment. Think of staring down the barrel of a shotgun knowing your life will soon to be over. Then the table turns and you have control of the shooter. What would you do?
Court documents indicate that prosecutor Sheri Mark and defence attorneys jettisoned a charge of attempted murder of a police officer and the mandatory minimum five year gun related sentence agreeing, "The minimum prison term is the appropriate penalty."
Really? Tell that to Cst. Wilton. Better yet, tell that to the Wilton's family.
Is it time to reinstate the Court Watch program where citizens sit in on deliberations and sentencing then publish the results with the intent of embarrassing both the justice system and legislators into mandatory minimum sentencing?
The court was told that the .12 gauge shotgun was stolen from a Kamloops homeowner the previous month. We can't criticize the justice system while handing weapons to criminals. If you own firearms, you have a moral and legal obligation to keep them under lock and key so even if your house is broken in to, the thieves can't leave with the weapons.
Gertz was given a lecture by Justice Robert Powers telling Gertz he was lucky to be alive and should mend his ways or else face death by drug trade or more jail time.
RCW would like to know what offence would warrant more jail time than attempted murder.
Watch Courage in Red on Thursday nights. RCW welcomes your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for March 17, 2010

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is; sage advice worth heeding. Here are some of the Top Ten Scams as listed by the Vancouver Better Business Bureau-www-mbc.bbb.org., but first this Alert from Ontario.

Barrie, Ontario police are warning of an email scam from someone identifying themselves as an International Rotary member from Vernon, British Columbia. Barrie Police state that, "The fraudulent documents appear to be very official referencing to large amounts of money being available to the email recipient. The Canadian military, police services, the attorney general and custom law are also referenced in the documents which bear verification signatures and photos." Barrie police are advising that this is a fraud and not to respond to or forward the email.

The BBB warns of Health Care Scams which make "breakthrough" health claims promising cures for illnesses such as cancer, swine flu and a mired of other illnesses.

Free Trials such as a new diet, acne cream or teeth whitener. The BBB states that bogus web sites will have innocuous billing terms that end up costing you money for a product you thought was free.

Identification Theft is after the fact when you find charges on your credit card or a collection agency contacts you regarding a delinquent bill of which you were unaware. More and more consumers are being lured on line to reveal personal information. The BBB advises not to provide any personal information over the phone, internet, or fax and to ensure your computer has the latest virus security system such as AVG or similar product. Online scammers, such as the bogus rotary member above, send emails to millions of recipients that look legitimate requesting that your "account information needs to be updated." Pay Pal calls these phishing and we've noted their warning on our web site under Hoaxes. Another new tactic called "scareware" has a pop-up message showing that your computer is infected with a virus and you need to visit a website to purchase and download anti-virus software that will fix the problem.

If you receive messages like these just delete, then before shutting the computer off, go to the delete section and delete the deletes, garbage can, trash or recycle bin.

Home Repair Rip-Offs are going to rise to the surface again as spring approaches. Many times homeowners are told they need to do an immediate furnace replacement due to a crack in their "heat exchanger" or because a handheld device shows high carbon monoxide levels. Do not make hasty decisions, but rather start your research with the BBB at bbb.org. Remember, you can't go wrong by asking knowledgeable honest neighbours, or your municipality.

Last summer a scammer was touring rural residents with an offer of an aerial photo of the resident's home for $100 while he scrutinized the property to return later and help himself.

Hidden Cell Phone Charges can pop up on your statement increasing your bill considerably. Make sure you peruse your charges and report any questionable items to your phone provider.

Cash Back Fraud is when you advertise something for sale and the buyer agrees to your asking price, but sends you a cheque for a larger sum. The buyer asks you to bank the cheque and send him a money transfer for the difference. That cheque bounces and you're stuck for the difference.

RCW asks that you report any questionable emails or phone requests to our web site and the police and that you peruse www.ruralcrimewatch.com regularly for updated Hoax information.

Watch Courage in Red Thursday nights.

Rural Crime Watch Column for March 3, 2010

"I'm a thief. I want your purse. You have it over your shoulder and neck with the bag either behind or in front of you. Either way my blade slices through the strap in nano-seconds and I have your ID.
  
   "Why you and countless other women insist on giving me your purse and ID is beyond me but, hey, it's your money. No, actually it's now my money, and credit cards, and social insurance number and names, addresses and phone numbers of all your adult children whom I will now rob as well.
  
  "I grossed over $100,000 last year. No taxes. Thanks.
  
  "View this link to see how my colleagues and I work: www.wimp.com/goodsamaritan
  
  "Here are some tips from Rural Crime Watch-that I'd prefer you not have- to prevent guys like me from getting rich off your behaviour."
  
  Carry your hand-bag over your shoulder only, with one hand on the clasp.
  
  Protect your SIN-Social Insurance Number as you should your credit cards. Stolen numbers are used to defraud the government, businesses and individuals in your name.
  
  Protect your credit cards by keeping them on your person or within sight at all times. As noted in the above video link the woman turned her back on her hand-bag momentarily to be a Good Samaritan. Notify the bank when a replacement card is overdue; theft from rural mail boxes is common. Do not give out your card information over the phone or to those you don't know. Don't leave your card in an unattended vehicle. If a thief will smash your vehicle window for a $10 CD for a narcotics fix, s/he will do it for a credit card that will bring a great deal more than ten dollars on the black market.
  
  Scamming seniors at bingos is the money making scheme of Richard Earl Rupert for whom there is a Canada-wide warrant-see www.ruralcrimewatch.com/bulletins. Edmonton Police Staff Sergeant Terry Innes says, “If someone has seen this man, or possibly has been victimized by him, they need to contact police. Our seniors are the most vulnerable to this type of crime and they need to be protected.
  
  "Richard Earl Rupert of no fixed address is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for robbery, break/enter, eight counts of fraud under $5,000, three counts of attempted fraud under and six counts of theft under $5,000. Rupert is alleged to have defrauded 20 seniors from January 2008 to November 2009 across Eastern Canada. The seniors range in age from 78 to 95. The accused visits retirement homes, bingos and communities where he poses as a distant relative, usually a nephew. He convinces his victims to provide him with money for travel, car repairs or rent."
  
  The Phoney Bank Inspector Fraud was first committed in Canada and is known as the Canadian Caper. The thief typically nets between $1,000 and $5,000 per victim. The scam starts with a phone call in which the caller identifies her/himself as a bank inspector attempting to catch a dishonest bank employee. Being a helpful Canadian you provide her/him with all your financial information, agree to meet her/him and withdraw agreed upon cash which will, "be returned immediately after we catch our thief." You never hear from the Inspector again and you are out the cash.
  
  The RCMP's Courage in Red television program starts a new season on March 5 channel 352 on Shaw and 266 on ExpressVu. See their complete schedule at http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cr/schedule-horaire-eng.htm The episode, Front Line Policing, provides an insight into the danger and sacrifices Mounties experience on a daily basis.
  
  We welcome your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com
  

Rural Crime Watch Column for February 17, 2010

What did you think of the concept of using a firearm to defend yourself or a loved one from bodily harm-the concept of which we wrote about in our last column? Federal law mandates that right for every Canadian. We wrote of Port Alberni's Dennis Galloway of Dievert's Jewellery activating that right by using his legally registered and safely stored Beretta handgun to prevent two armed bandits from killing his wife and him. He was successful, placing five bullets into one robber while the other fled. Today, twenty months after Galloway's accomplishment, the RCMP have not arrested the other bandit and offer no information regarding his whereabouts.
What the Port Alberni police do offer is advice for all residents; that due to a community budget shortfall they will not be hiring the necessary three members to bring their detachment to its compliment and request the public to assist in reducing crime. Mmmmm. This is the same detachment that attempted to charge Mr. Galloway with improper firearm storage and dangerous use of a weapon to save his and his wife's life, which would be construed by any prudent citizen as an effort to reduce crime. A strange contradiction.
The RCMP media spokesperson elaborated their position regarding Galloway by stating they wouldn't condone vigilantism and "had to charge him with something." One reader wrote requesting the police check the Oxford dictionary for the definition of vigilantism, "A self appointed doer of justice." The reader pointed out, what Mr. Galloway was doing wasn't vigilantism; he was being vigilant, "Alertly watchful...to avoid danger."
Another reader, female, wrote, "Since when does charging or not charging an individual boil down to public perception rather than the facts? That's not the kind of police force I want. No one condones indiscriminate use of firearms. However, if the investigation deems the facts to substantiate self defense, how can the RCMP criticize or even question the motive? It would seem to me that what should not be condoned are criminals threatening innocent people's lives. I really don't think we will see an avalanche of normally law-abiding citizens shooting people with trumped up stories of self defense. Is that the fear of the RCMP? How easily this could have turned out to be a different story with a shop owner and his wife murdered."
Port Alberni's crime rate is one of the highest in the province with considerable violent incidents, poaching and drug activity. Alberni RCMP Inspector Gord Wellar said the detachment believes in the philosophy of community-based policing. He encouraged residents to keep items under lock and key, watch out for their neighbours and become educated regarding telemarketing and email scams. That is everything Rural Crime Watch is and more. You'll note on our home page, www.ruralcrimewatch.com/SouthCariboo that Weller echoes RCW's founder, RCMP Sgt. Kevon Sellers position that, "There could never be enough police to solve all the problems in a community." Weller believes Alberni is being victimized by a small number of repeat offenders which wouldn't be altered by twenty more members, let alone three. Sheepdogs like Galloway know this but the sheep do not and that knowledge terrifies them.
Fifteen years ago an Alberni high school student threatened to kill a teacher and his wife. The school administrators chose to ignore the threat and castigated the teacher for speaking out. The RCMP however swooped in immediately containing the threat, moving the offending student out of Alberni permanently.....within hours. The force did this previously when one student severely beat another. That assaulting pupil was moved out of town permanently as well. What has happened in the interim? Has common sense slipped from law enforcement management or has the force's upper echelon, directing from ivory towers in Vancouver and Ottawa, been away from the streets too long and are playing politically correct? If the latter, they are not tuned to reality and certainly not tuned to the federal government.
Mainstream media generally sought to generate sympathy for Dievert's gunman, James Gumbleton, the paraplegic, serving four years, extorting his limited education and cocaine use as excuses for his attempt on the Galloways. Gumbleton said his drug dealer ordered him to rob Dievert's and gave him the firearm. Gumbleton takes umbrage with Galloway receiving community support for his bravery and exceptional action under stress, "this is nothing (Galloway's actions) to win an award for."
RCW begs to differ with you Mr. Gumbleton. It's the actions of Sheepdogs like Galloway who will get the message out to you and your kind that citizens will not tolerate being robbed, beaten and threatened for your gain.
We welcome your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column For February 3, 2010

   Armed bandits are entering your home or business bent on causing you, your loved ones or employees, bodily harm. You could call 911, hope someone answers promptly, gathers all pertinent information and dispatches law enforcement which arrives in time. Realistically, you know that isn't going to happen.

  Whether you're a sheep or a sheepdog, you know your options are limited; either fight or die; with armed intruders there is no third choice. There is no opportunity to change the soul of angry violent men. There's no expectation of society evolving to allow everyone to live in peace. There is only survival.

  The latter is what Port Alberni jewellery store owner Dennis Galloway did in October 2008 when two armed bandits entered his store and pointed a firearm at his wife, clearly with the intention of doing her bodily harm. Mr. Galloway, who was working in the corner of the store as the assailants entered, quickly made his way unseen to his locked safe in the storage room. He removed his legally registered, safely stored stainless steel Beretta 92fs semi-automatic pistol, inserted a ten round magazine, ran back to the store and opened fire on the two men who intended to use their weapons on his wife and him.

  "I did not have much time...by the time the bad guys put their feet on the store floor, shots were fired and first bad guy (armed) hit the floor... it was only 15 seconds......bad guy had gun pointed at my wife's head before I even had the magazine in my pistol............there was NO time to contemplate, there was NO time to warn my wife, and there was most certainly NO time to call 911............it takes longer than that to get a 911 operator on the phone....it's not like in the movies......" commented Mr. Galloway.

  One of the assailants succumbed to his five gun shot wounds and collapsed in the entry way as the other attacker made his way to a waiting vehicle and fled. Galloway's firearms training propelled him to keep his handgun trained on the downed attacker while his wife called 911.

  The captured gunman recovered from his wounds and was recently sentenced to four years incarceration in the prison's special wing for the wheelchair confined.......James Gumbleton is paralysed from the chest down.

  The RCMP attempted to charge Galloway with improper firearm storage and dangerous use of a firearm but a wise crown counsel rejected their offering. Staff Sgt. Omilusik commented that he felt Galloway's behaviour was vigilantism and that the police would not condone such action. They couldn't charge Galloway with shooting the assailant as self-defence is embodied in our federal law.

  But you see, the RCMP doesn't offer an alternative. What were Galloway's options? Neither of his two Alberni critics offered options, although they may have been front and centre at Galloway's funeral carrying placards decrying a violent society.

  Jewellers Vigilance Canada, an industry watchdog which maintains robbery statistics, point out in their 2009 release that jewellers experienced a 64 percent increase in armed robberies from 2008 totalling 8.5 million dollars.

  Galloway noted in his interview with RCW that his insurance company never questioned his motive or behaviour and didn't balk at replacing the window shattered by a bullet that missed its mark.

  The RCMP's objections aside, RCW predicts we will see more Galloway's, more businesspersons turned sheepdog for their survival, duplicating Alberta's Brian Knight's actions as noted in our column of May 20, 2009.

  What would you do in either situation? We welcome your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com "Contact"
  

Rural Crime Watch Column for December 30, 2009

    
"You can't call yourself a 'legal handgun owner' if you are not complying with the law. People who are reckless about their legal responsibilities concerning their license, may also be lax about their (other) responsibilities," says Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair in his discussion with RCW of the confiscation of of 400 legally registered firearms in Toronto recently. The firearms' owner's crime? Forgetting to renew their Possession and Acquisition firearms permit on time.
So comments by law enforcement management that there isn't and never was a law enforcement objective to confiscate firearms from law-abiding citizens, aren't accurate. Firearms' confiscation has been a huge concern of firearm owners since the inception of the long gun registration and it would appear by Blair's actions, their concerns have merit.
Law enforcement management are often quoted as saying the registry assists police officers in their duties by providing valuable information prior to attending a call. That is not accurate now and never has been.
There is not an officer worth her flack vest who enquires about registered firearms prior to a disturbance call; the presence of weapons is a given until proven otherwise. That call to the registry is a CYA, cover your a** required by management. Firearms are assumed to be present in every incident whether it is a vehicle stop or family disturbance. Keep that in mind the next time Traffic Services pulls you over for a motor vehicle violation.
The key to maintaining your firearms to make sure you don't let your PAL-Purchase and Acquisition License-lapse. The Canadian Firearms Centre will send out a renewal notice three months prior to the expiration date. By completing the renewal immediately-no procrastination-you will be assured the license will be renewed baring any change in your personal circumstances. The other key, and one that can't be over emphasized, is to be courteous with whomever you speak at the CFC. Regardless of your position on the long gun registration, the firearms license has been around a long time and is not going to change. Your playing hardball with the CFC will get you nothing. Society needs to know that you or any firearms owner is not a threat to their safety. You have no right to own a firearm in Canada, not like some American sates. Your privilege to own a firearm is similar to your driver's license and that privilege can not infringe on the right of public safety.
Keep the firearms issue in perspective. Law enforcement isn't interested in the firearms of hunters or other sports shooters provided they operate within the law and store their firearms safely. Shooting a bear within the city limits of Kamloops recently was the act of stupidity and told Kamloops residence that they do have something to fear from that firearm owner. If the police are called to your residence on a domestic incident, you are guaranteed to have your firearms confiscated until the issue is resolved. Privilege versus the right to safety.
We welcome your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com "Contacts".

Rural Crime Watch Column for December 16, 2009

“Don’t Drink and Drive.”
A no brainer. Right?
Not for everyone.......unfortunately.
We’re inundated with that message on the tube, radio, print and cyberspace and yet we seem to always get drunks behind the wheel, more so during the holidays. How can we make this a historical year; no alcohol related vehicular accidents?
Of course the obvious answer is, "Take responsibility for your behavior," but common sense and the obvious are not always synonymous, or the norm.
If you’re hosting a party, it’s your responsibility to make sure everyone has a safe ride home. Make arrangements early on in the party before they have had one too many. Call them a cab or arrange a designated driver. Too many fights and assaults are the result of a sober person trying to take vehicle keys from a drunk.
Teens know the cost of combining alcohol and driving from the excellent community PARTY-Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth-program-www.partyprogram.org. Let’s be sure adults follow their smart lead.
What other threats lurk to damper the holiday spirit?
Salmonella and related food poisonings can make any day a downer or a hospital visit. This nasty is abundantly prevalent during the holidays. When preparing for the big dinner, defrost the turkey in the refrigerator – not room temperature. Don't leave perishable foods at room temperature for longer than two hours. Take only a small portion out of the fridge at a time.
Some additional safety tips.
Place candles on a flat surface away from drapes, trees or flammables and don't leave them unattended or available for the cat to knock over. Extinguish at night or when leaving your house. Watch children around any flame or fireplace. That gas unit with metal sides and dancing flames is a magnet to tiny hands.
Wood fireplaces/heaters? Make sure the flue is open with a clean chimney. Firefighters would like the holiday too and your insurance company doesn’t want the paper work. Seriously. Make sure there aren’t decorations near any candle or fireplace and don’t burn gift wrappings in the fireplace.
Ah, the Christmas tree. Ruralists are drawn to the bush for their own tree, making it a family outing. Hot chocolate. Cutting the tree. Getting stuck in the snow. Hauling it on top of the car. Watching it blow off the car into oncoming traffic. If it’s in your Christmas budget, consider purchasing a farmed tree from any number of venders. Or an artificial tree that can be used till you die willed to your kids and then their kids.
When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness by tapping it on the ground. Dropping needles indicate a dry, highly flammable tree. Is that a no brainer? Needles should be hard to pull. Keep the reservoir water full. An artificial tree needs to be fire resistant or similarly labelled.
Not everyone wants you to have a great Christmas. Santa’s sleigh looks fabulous with gifts piled high for all to see. That pile is irresistible to creeps who count on Christmas to fill their stockings with your goodies. Santa says not to copy him with gifts piled high in your vehicle. Put all your gifts in the trunk or the back seat of your pick-up so you’re not inviting low lifes.
Make sure your wallet is protected and not in your rear pocket guys. And ladies, your handbag’s strap shouldn’t be around your neck. A thief will take you to the ground using the strap. He will still have your purse and you could be injured from the fall. Place it over one shoulder with the accompanying hand on the purse itself. And please, stay in condition Yellow-be alert, be aware of your surroundings-when shopping so you’re not viewed by thieves as a victim.
Kid will scramble after gift displays and assorted shiny objects. Shop with friends and keep an eye on each others’ kids. This is a favourite time for pedophiles.
Let someone know where you are and when you plan to return. It is winter. Retired Ontario Provincial Police Inspector Andrew Maksymchuk recalls a Christmas Eve patrol with temperatures below freezing where he took the road less travelled while on patrol. He came upon a stranded family who had waited and prayed for two hours to be rescued. One of the children asked, “Are you our Angel? Daddy said that if we prayed, God would send an angel to help us.”
Dad added, “Sometimes policemen are God’s angels.”
Rural Crime Watch wishes you all the best for the holidays and the New Year. And check out our web site addition, Hoaxes, at www.ruralcrimewatch.com and report any questionable emails to us for authentication.

Rural Crime Watch Column for December 2, 2009

The British Columbia Crime Prevention Association designates one week a year to bringing urban and rural residents information regarding law enforcement and communities working together to eliminate crime.

In 2007, 73% of Canadians used the internet and British Columbians lead the country with 78%. That was the general public. Teenagers topped the polls with 98% accessing the web, many totally unaware of the lurking dangers.

Adults use the high speed technology for everything from keeping in touch with friends and family to banking, investing and business communication. But who would take naked photos of themselves and email them? Pedophiles for sure. But teenagers?

Growing in popularity, strange as it may seem to some, is emailing sexually explicit messages, photos and videos. "Sexting". So parents, you may find your daughter or son's personal communications on the internet on any number of web sites devoted to such material. Your child's school-mates will have access to the material and your whole world could crash around you within seconds.....nano-seconds actually.

One national general merchandise chain is currently advertising a mom and eight year old son shopping for, "His first cell phone." As a parent, you might want to consider that decision very carefully. You may decide to forgo your child's pleas and pressure of, "I'm the only kid at school without one."

Rural Crime Watch has shared computer safety tips previously, encouraging parents to locate computers in high traffic family areas such as the kitchen or living room and not in your child's bedroom. If you must have a web cam, unplug it when not in use or remove it entirely and keep under your control. Install parent blocks on the computer which prevent access to unwanted sites, using a password to maintain the controls. But the problem has exploded in its complexity with hand-held data devices which exceed cell phone capabilities. Network providers offer free Blackberries and related devices with a contract which you would have to sign for as the adult, but kids can purchase these instruments with cash and buy access that links to an anonymous email address such as ruralcrimewatch@yahoo.com. and parents often have no knowledge or control of the activity.

Do you know how schools are dealing with texting in class? The devices are small enough to conceal and students can text each other during exams from class to class or seat to seat. Do students have to be patted down and only allowed pens and pencils? Teachers can't possibly monitor 30 students in a classroom or several hundred in a gym during provincial exams, so what is the control. You might want to find out.

If you trust your child, and we mean explicitly, not, "Oh, my son wouldn't do that," kind of trust, then suggest she choose a nickname or alias and not use personal information such as birth date, home address, school name or home/cell phone number on the internet. Remind him that what he sends to a friend in confidence may very well be forwarded to others and end up on the internet. One tenth grader texted his friend in another class to advise he was going away skiing for the weekend with his family. That information went to others and 300 kids used the family home for a house destroying weekend.

Visit www.ruralcrimewatch.com and surf our site for additional internet safety tips and the latest law enforcement bulletins.

Rural Crime Watch Column for November 18, 2009

Instinct, Webster defines it as, "Behaviour below the conscience level." It just happens.

Now think of Instinct multiplied a thousand fold with training. Every muscle and nerve ending is primed for action.

Law enforcement personnel have firearms training drilled into them until the action becomes Instinct. Imagine for a moment an innocent life is in immediate danger of being ended by a gunman. The Police react immediately. Instinct. Their 9 mm weapon comes out in one clean, smooth move with the barrel levelled at the gunman's chest. The trigger is squeezed twice hitting the gunman, and then the officer scans for any other threat and shoots again if needed. Instinct.

That may be difficult for some readers to acept, but it is reality from the writer's twenty years as a defensive tactics instructor. When an officer's life is threatened, they are trained to eliminate that threat using deadly force.

With the introduction of the Taser, officers had to modify their Instinct to include non-lethal response. In order to do so, they had to override their training. Instead of an instant reaction to a serious deadly threat, they now had to immediately evaluate; which level of force is sufficient to eliminate the danger? Even carrying the Taser is a challenge. Place it where? Their duty belt is full with issued equipment. Left thigh to force the officer to make the distinction? Lots do, but with considerable decreased motor muscle movement. The officer still has to train his brain to make that decision, 9 or Taser, then tell his left hand to move, not his right. On the right thigh? Now the officer has to train her motor skills to go lethal and grab high or less lethal and grab low. Too much of a chance of confusion and bam, the suspect is dead. And the officer's career is in the toilet with possible criminal and civil action.

Taser International's recent bulletin to world-wide law enforcement agencies; "Should sudden cardiac arrest occur in a scenario involving a Taser discharge to the chest area, it would place the law-enforcement agency.....in the difficult situation of trying to ascertain what role Taser played in the incident."

In other words, the liability will be that of the officer using the Taser. They'll get blamed if something goes wrong while everyone else scrambles to try and cover their butts.

Shifting the Taser paradigm is their new X-12 shotgun modelled after Mossberg's 12 gauge pump shotgun. The new weapon holds 5 untethered Taser rounds allowing an officer to engage five suspects with the ease of a fast action pump movement. Being non-tethered at one hundred feet adds new dynamics to less lethal takedowns; there are no wires leading back to the weapon. In addition, there is no Instinct confusion since the X-12 is deployed in the same manner as the department issued lethal 12 gauge shotgun.

But Taser discussion may be moot, particularly with the RCMP, given the public's outcry of their involvement in a number of deaths linked to Taser use. The force is in the process of reviewing their deployment of the Taser and may decide to scuttle its use entirely. That would mean returning to brut force for suspect control. RCW recalls an incident in a Vancouver Island community where a drinker in a bar became violent, breaking furniture and fighting with other customers. When members arrived he attacked them. The officers subdued the suspect with their batons, fists, feet and knees. By the time the members were able to cuff the 250 pound suspect; the drinker was unconscious and required hospitalization.

Considering the public's criticism of the Taser and of those using it, will the Taser survive, allowing officers to use the advanced X-12, or will police departments scrap its use completely and revert to brut force?

We welcome your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

  
    
    

Rural Crime Watch Column November 4, 2009

"Ms. Homeowner, I'm sorry but your insurance is invalid since the thieves didn't break into either your vehicle or your home. You left the keys in the car and your back door unlocked. I'm sorry but your insurance company can't help."
We'll leave the name of the rural community anonymous to save their dignity, but the raft of thefts weren't B&Es, they were E&HYs-Enter and Help Yourself. The businesses didn't fair much better with thieves using a crowbar to pop the front doors. Business victims had no alarm system.
One security company offered RCW a ball-park figure for a 400 square foot business area with front and back door contacts and a glass breaker for $500.00. What did they steal from your business? More than $500.00 we suspect and the tragedy is they will be back. Rural policing may be a problem in your area due to the massive geography but it isn't in towns. Members will be at your business within minutes if not seconds. Many businesses have RCW Executive members as first responders and we can attest to the response time.
Recent B&E’s in various rural communities should be a wake up call to all residents and businesses. Thieves have gravitated to rural B.C. because we have been naïve in believing crime is an urban problem. Why do you think the Hells Angels have established rural clubs?
Numerous Ruralists have commented to RCW that they moved from the city to get away from crime. Sorry. Ain’t gonna happen. Not unless you retrieve your urban sense of personal and property safety. Then crank them up a notch.
Your rural needs are different than what you had in the city because of the distance between you and your neighbour. But you aren’t at the mercy of thieves and other deviants. The solution? Neighbours.
Make sure you know your neighbours, have their phone numbers readily available and crank up your
house security.

Exterior Security

Consider lighting your exterior 360 degrees with either motion or permanent low wattage light sensitive units. The latter are about $100.00 per. Motion lights can be installed for about $30.00 each. If you’re lacking in installation skills, ask a friend, neighbour or RCW.
Don’t leave equipment outdoors or within sight from the highway. Lock up ladders so they cannot be used to break into your home.
Use automatic garage door openers for easy access. Upon exiting your garage, open the door after you are in your vehicle. Upon entering your garage, close it before you get out of the car. Doors leading from the garage to the house or to the outside need dead-bolts.
Are you expecting service personnel or friends then have to pop out for a few minutes? Don’t leave a note on your door or hide a key outside. Arrange for repairs with a neighbour or a time you will be present.

Interior Security

Dead-bolts are a must on all outside entry doors including the garage and basement doors. Choose the longest bolt available and use at least 3” screws for installation. The bolt is only as good as its attachment to the door frame. These should be kept locked whether you are at home, in the garden or away from the house. Some homeowners prefer key locks on the inside of their exterior doors. RCW considers these hazardous in emergency exiting. If the key happens to be removed the door can’t be opened.
Use solid interior locks/levers to secure all windows. Sliding windows and patio doors need dowels placed in the tracks to make the window impossible to slide open. Make sure they’re locked 24/7.
If you don’t have a clear view of your door’s exterior, consider installing a peep hole to allow you to identify callers before opening the door. Ask for identification from repairmen-through a locked door.
Anyone can obtain a religious pamphlet, come to your door, hold it up to your peep hole and claim to want to save your soul. Don’t feel embarrassed or paranoid by following this safety procedure.
Put timers on interior lights in high occupancy rooms so that when you are away, the lights will illuminate at different times, indicating movement from room to room.
Your answering machine is a good security measure. Keep your message simple, give just your phone number -not your name -and imply that you are occupied elsewhere in the home indicating you're not out of the house. Don’t record, “I’m not home now….” You may as well record, “I’m not home right now so come and help yourself.”
For a woman living alone, it is a good idea to have a male friend or relative record the message. That’s not sexist. Remote access to your machine is an excellent feature for when you are away for several days.
Consider a dog, any breed or size. Barking draws attention the thief doesn't want. Or, consider an electronic barker that attaches to the inside exterior door-knob. When the exterior knob is moved, the device is activated and your “Dog” barks. RCW interviewed several long term prison inmates who readily admitted they would leave any house with a dog and go to the next house.
Security systems vary in complexity and cost. Carefully consider your needs and obtain several quotes. Consider using cell for monitoring rather than land lines that can be cut. Phone lines were cut in a number of security protected businesses recently. Make sure you have reliable participants on your call-out list.
Businesses may also consider modifying their, “No shirt, No Shoes, No Service” policy to, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Hoodies, No Service.” How much business might you lose by demanding customers reveal their faces? Community minded, law-abiding customers won’t object. Criminals will.
Visit the British Columbia Crime Prevention web site at http://www.bccpa.org/bccpa/crimepreventionweek.htm for additional crime prevention tips and catch Rural Crime Watch with the Road Show on CKBX in 100 Mile House and visit us at www.ruralcrimewatch.com .

Rural Crime Watch Column for October 21, 2009

"Taking Back the Night."
  How's that workin' for ya?
  Not that well we suspect.
  Violent males are violent males and won't change their behavior because folks march with lighted candles.
  No disrespect to organizers and supporters, but passive resistance and attempts at behaviour change with media coverage doesn't cut it. Women need to become proactive and carry a big stick.
  As much as some readers would like to tell us that we are not Americans with their more positive firearms attitude, we are. We just don't advertise it.
  Go to www.ruralcrimewatch.com and click on our November 19, 2008 column.
  Miami, Florida had a rash of violent sexual assaults with few suspects. Miami Police department trained several thousand women in handgun use; the results were covered by local media. The assaults plummeted with law enforcement saying the sickos didn't know which women were armed so they preyed elsewhere. A few years later the statistics began to rise so the media ran another blitz even though the police didn't offer another course. The assaults dropped again. There were no candlelight parades, only armed women who "Took Back the Night" themselves; sleeping soundly knowing an attempted assault would be met with deadly force.
  If your child is off to college or university and still feels invincible, you haven't done your job. But it's not too late. You may still be able to influence her to take her personal safety seriously. Check out the school's security program and find out what's in place for students' safety. Are dorm exterior doors entered with a card-key? Is any identification required for entry or do students hold the door open for others to enter not knowing if s/he is a student or stalker? Are all buildings well lighted? Do women travel in threes and not at night? What is her room security? Go to http://www.a1selfdefenseproducts.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=393 for a door guard that fits under the knob and braces into the floor.
  Does she carry bear spray and know how to use it? How about a Stun Gun? Stephen Colbert Reports that, "You Stun five times, the first to take your attacker down and the next four to restart his organs."
  Does she sleep with her cell phone beside her bed and know her exact location in the dorm? It doesn't do her much good if she calls 911 and says she's on the third floor of McKinley Hall.
  Lisa Gardner notes in, Say Goodbye, "You scream. You scream and you scream and you scream until your throat is raw and your eyes swollen and you taste a curious substance in the back of your throat. You cry for your mother. You beg God. You don't understand why it's happening. You can't believe it is happening. And yet it is."
  That is reality for sexual assault survivors; some availing themselves of counselling and some, defensive tactics training. The transformation of the women who take the latter is gratifying. These women are not passive survivors but proactive spokespersons for taking back their souls, vowing it will never happen to them again and having the skills and tools to ensure that it won't.
  Ponder this as a protest to empower women; in every rural community at exactly 6 pm on the same day, scores of women march with rifles slung over their shoulders, their Purchase and Acquisition Licenses strung on pink ribbons around their necks with two women in front carrying a sign, "Violence Against Women, Never Again." Two women at the rear carrying another sign facing backwards, "Yes We Will."
  Rural Crime Watch welcomes your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Reader's Response:

Published: November 10, 2009 7:00 PM
Updated: November 11, 2009 9:44 AM

0 Comments To the editor:

Rita Giesbrecht’s Nov. 4 letter to the editor echoes many who walk the halls of women centres, infusing their own brand of personal safety.

We had a similar experience with another centre. Its spokesperson rejecting an offer of defensive tactics instruction saying, “Women don’t need to change, society does.”

We shared that position with a centre director, a psychologist, who said the position given was not that of the centre and that, in fact, the directors were unaware of the offer. We later provided many hours of instruction to rape survivors who, along with their centre counsellors, appreciated their new skills “took back their night.”

We’re not sure what exactly Ms. Giesbrecht finds disrespectful of our column: the fact women should learn to protect themselves from male assailants; or that we felt a “public show of solidarity” without the big stick was ineffective.

Regardless of her objection, Rural Crime Watch has been inundated with positive e-mails from readers of both genders, thanking us for encouraging women to be proactive in their personal protection.


Jon McCormick

Todd Page

Rural Crime Watch

  

Rural Crime Watch Column for October 7, 2009

Excitement and enthusiasm, these are what fill your child's first few weeks of school.
Summer is over and the thrill of classroom learning and missed friends has returned.
Yet how do you share your concern for your child's safety without dampening her enthusiasm?
Create hypothetical situations then ask your child: "What would you do in that situation?" this approach doesn't put your child in the discussion's centre but affords him the opportunity to evaluate a possible scenario.
Frequent discussions and a preventative approach will reduce parents' anxiety, decrease the likelihood of a physical attack and heighten your child's general safety awareness without creating paranoia.
You need to set the tone and offer direction. With a positive attitude and solutions in hand your child will follow your lead.
Once out the door your child should be fully aware of his surroundings. RCW has observed scores of children walking to the bus loop, head down, appearing as though they were walking to their doom. Maybe they are, but that is a topic for another column.
Set the tone ahead of time by referring to your recent school route walk as mentioned in our last column. Remind your child what the area's beauty affords, and encourage her to observe everything during the walk. If it's the bus route, the same principles apply-be observant, don't get so caught up in conversations with friends that you tune out the environment and miss the guy sitting in the mini-van watching.
If your child waits for a bus, suggest he stand with a wall, tree or telephone poll to his back so no one can approach from behind without his knowledge.
Your child should be the first or last on, not part of the pack in the middle. Being in the middle increases the chances of pushing/shoving and other physical encounters.
Sitting in the front half of the bus eliminates being part of the back pack who can be rowdy and cause anguish for non-participants. Bus drivers have two-way radios, can stop the bus to deal with disruptions and will report incidents immediately. Some school districts have reported that drivers have requested RCMP assistance; parents have been called and been required to leave work to attend the parked bus to retrieve their errant child.
Your child needs to remember that proximity to a disturbance can create as much of a problem as if she were right in the middle of the foray. She could be group with the accused and denied bus privileges.
Potential assailants, like predatory animals, seek the loner and the weak, consequently children should commute to and from school in peer groups.
It should go without saying that children do not talk to strangers but it doesn't hurt to reiterate that policy.
A ruse used too frequently by assailants to disarm a child is to ask for help in finding a lost dog or child. Some antagonists have used photographs of the cute puppy and successfully enticed children away from groups.
By walking the school route ahead of time, your child can devise alternative routes should trouble develop. Encourage her to walk with head held high and looking people in the eye.
The message that comes through is, "I know where I am, I'm aware of your presence and you can not surprise me." This is assertive, not submissive, which is often enough to discourage stranger approach and experience has shown that the nuance makes all the difference in who is chosen as a victim.

Rural Crime Watch Column for September 2, 2009

Rural Crime Watch reminds children, parents and drivers to be especially alert and cautious during the school year, particularly the first few days of the new school year. Children have been away from a vigilant routine for two months and drivers have had the same time to disregard school zones.
  Time to crank up awareness and make sure the school year begins with joy and enthusiasm, not tragedy.
  Driving near schools whether within the "School Zone" signs or not, requires hyper alertness at any time of the day. Children walking to and from school, running, playing and otherwise disregarding their safety is what drivers need to expect, even though that behaviour is not what you want to see in children.
  They are children and drivers are supposed to be responsible adults.
  • Know your school's location and drive as though a child is going to bounce from between parked cars.
  • Be ready to stop immediately.
  • Look at the child attempting to cross so s/he knows you see them and motion that you are allowing them to cross.
  Last school year a teacher observed a child attempting to cross at an intersection at the corner of the child's school. A driver slowed to allow his passage, then sped up, forcing the child to retreat in terror. The teacher reported the incident to local Mounties who attended the driver's nearby home. The driver's response?
  "What's the problem, I didn't hit the little sh**."
  Let's hope that female driver is an isolated moron and not what our children will encounter.
  Here are timely reminders from the Canadian Safety Council for a safe school start-up:
  Getting to and on the school bus:
  1.Arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled pick up time. Children should never run after the school bus to try to catch it. If you miss the bus, go back home or if you are at school, report to a teacher.
  2.Stay on the sidewalk, well away from the roadway and stay back until the bus has come to a full stop and the door opens.
  3.If your child needs to cross the street, teach them to look to the left, then to the right, and to the left once more before crossing the street.
  4.Use the handrail when boarding or exiting the bus.
  Riding on the school bus:
  1.Take a seat as quickly as possible, put belongings under the seat and stay seated.
  2.Never stick anything out of the window, including arms or heads.
  3.Save food for snack time at school or until you get home. There is a danger of choking and the driver may not be able to immediately help you in an emergency.
  4.Wait until the school bus comes to a complete stop before getting off.
  After riding on the school bus:
  1.When getting off the bus: take two large steps away from bus. If you must walk in front of the bus, walk ahead at least three metres (10 giant steps).
  2.The driver must be able to see you and will give a signal when it is safe to cross. Cross in a single file.
  3.If a child drops something hear or under the school bus, they should never attempt to retrieve it without the driver’s permission.
  Travel by Car
  Parents and guardians must respect their child’s school safety measures for dropping off and picking up their children at school. Every effort must be made to avoid collision and injury by refraining to create hazardous situations of traffic congestion and unsafe driving practices within the school zone. Respect posted speed limits, and designated drop-off and pick-up areas.
  Travel by Bicycle
  To ride a bicycle to and from school, children must be mature enough (minimum 9 – 12 years old), and must have enough experience. The rider should be able to scan ahead and check behind without swerving.
  To ensure safe cycling, young cyclists must:
  •Wear a properly-fitted helmet, and have clothes that are suited for cycling (e.g. their pants tucked in).
  •Have their bikes fitted properly and in good working order. The bike should have a regular maintenance check-up and should have a bell. It is also a good idea to have a safety flag.
  •Know and obey all traffic rules, signs and signals. They must signal turns and stops. Ride in a straight line in the same direction as traffic and stop at every stop sign.
  •Be predictable to other road users by riding with the traffic usually on the right hand side of the roadway.
  •Never ride in the dark. If an older child must ride in the dark, make sure that reflective clothing and night-accessories (e.g. reflectors and lights) are used.
  Walking to school
  Many children use roadways to make their way to and from school. Parents and guardians must review road safety rules with their children and the importance of not accepting rides or any invitations from strangers. It is best to walk with a buddy and keep focused on getting straight home.
  To keep safe on roads, children pedestrians must:
  •Find a safe and direct route to school with the help of their parents. Hazards should be identified (train tracks, busy intersections, etc.) and a designated route with safety rules should be established.
  •Stay on sidewalks whenever possible. If there is no sidewalk, use the left side of the road facing traffic.
  •Cross streets only at crosswalks and learn to look to the left, the right and then left again before proceeding, even at intersections with pedestrian walk signs.
  •Wait until traffic comes to a stop before crossing. Make sure drivers see you before you cross.
  Remember the adage that it takes a village to raise a child and make sure their trip to and from school is safe.
  

Rural Crime Watch Column for August 19, 2009 "Road Rage"

You ever flip someone the finger? Had it done to you? What motivated you to get so angry and out of control that you would present a stranger with the vulgar gesture? How did you feel being the recipient? This and similar behaviours have created a motor vehicle safety problem that is growing exponentially and manifesting itself in rural Canada.
It's Road Rage. You've probably associated the behaviour with urbanites, particularly Americans. Well now you're going to have to tweak your thinking considerably and include Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, then be prepared to extend that thinking even further. Expand your paradigm to include everywhere. Road Rage is alive and flourishing in just about every Canadian megalopolis and is expanding to rural areas rapidly.
"As*h**le!"
That's what came out of the mouth of a financial courier as she manoeuvred her currency laden dolly the additional ten metres she had to endure by parking behind a car stopped in her "unusual" spot near the front door of a B.C. rural bank. Car Driver had stopped to let her spouse make his way to the pharmacy for his medication-all the handicap parking spots were occupied and the parking lot was full.
Maybe Financial Courier was having a bad morning. She had driven from Kamloops and maybe she'd missed her morning cuppa, but whatever the reason for her rudeness, it was scary considering the ramifications had she spouted her expletive in Gangouver where she may have been met with a physical encounter. Considering her hipped .38 revolver, an urban altercation could be deadly. She was obviously not in control of her environment and as such, a prime target for an attack and robbery---which might be precipitated by the vulgarity.
Road Rage doesn't necessarily have to involve a vehicle. A look or glance could be misinterpreted, which is why prisoners walk with their heads down so body language can't be misconstrued.
Misread hand/eye movement or body language could be the reason for an increase in violent attacks at North American universities. A study at the University of British Columbia, the University of Wisconsin and Seattle's University of Washington published in the Journal of Adolescent Health indicates twenty percent of male and female students experienced violence in the past six months. Fifty percent of all students in the study experienced "intimate partner violence".
Researchers believe the violence is about power and control, but what would prompt such behaviour; pressure from school, the need for super grades to joust in a highly completive job market? Could the pressure be similar to that experienced by thousands of commuters fearful for their jobs in a declining economy?
Take two drivers who share the stress of job, family and finances. Add summer heat and bumper to bumper traffic and you have a recipe for Road Rage. Add one driver texting or dialling their cell phone, or otherwise multitasking, not paying attention and tapping the bumper in front then it's out of vehicles and the violence begins.
As was the case recently in Port Mann, outside Vancouver, B.C.; Monday, 7 a.m., a grey pickup truck was travelling west on Highway 1 when it changed lanes in front of a dark pickup. Dark Pickup Guy apparently got angry and forced the grey pick-up into another lane. In the move, the Grey Pickup clipped a large truck and Grey Pick-up rolled over cement barriers and into a ditch sending all occupants to the hospital while Dark Pickup Guy took off.
A Chevrolet Silverado tried to pass a Ford pick-up on a rural stretch of a Langley, B.C. highway around 2 a.m. In the process the Ford driver forced the Silverado off the road, then took off. Not satisfied with vehicle damage and obviously still angered by someone attempting to pass "Him", the Ford driver returned and smashed into the Silverado killing the driver.
There are numerous incidents across Canada's rural communties. Chemainus on Vancouver Island saw the above Road Rage recipe mixed with alcohol by a 69 year old driver who stopped for a red light after an irradic approach to the intersection. For reasons known only to the driver, he exited his car and assualted the driver in front. Witnesses said there appeared no motivation. This crazy was subdued by bystanders who held him for the Mounties.
Yes, we know some drivers can dress themselves, shave, put make-up on and even have sex while driving, but that's another column.
Some insurance companies are considering amending their policies to null and void your policy if you are guilty of texting or dialling and cause an accident. Then to add to your stress overload, they propose cancelling your policy--forever! In British Columbia you would be SOL because Canada Direct won't take you if ICBC cancels and vice-versa. In other jurisdictions, insurance companies are unlikely to take you as a customer after being cancelled elsewhere.
RCW advises that common courtesy be your norm and if you're harbouring anger or animosities while driving, stop, take a break and refocus. If you're harassed by another driver, don't stop to "discuss" the issue, pull over and let the other vehicle pass. If the other driver insists on a confrontation, multitask and call 911

Rural Crime Watch Column for August 5, 2009

Is spitting on the sidewalk still illegal? Is it sufficient cause for police to question you?

A 22 year old man was spotted spitting on a Calgary, Alberta sidewalk in front of two Calgary beat cops. Spitter's furtive behaviour, once he saw the cops eyeballing him, prompted the officers to ask for ID.

Spitter was wanted in Edmonton for murder. Thanks to Calgary's finest, one more bad guy is behind bars.

But was spitting probable cause to detain him and ask for ID?

Alberta's Appeal Court ruled recently that finding a person in a high crime area exihibiting furtive behaviour is not sufficient to detain.

January 28, 2007, a police officer in an unmarked police car, saw a young person enter an apartment that had two sets of glass doors. Young Person entered the first set of doora and a man, sitting on steps inside the second doors, reached his hand through accepting something from Young Person. Young Person returned to his car. Once in his vehicle the cop approached and ordered him out. Young Person was told he was being detained for a drug investigation. He was handcuffed and searched. The latter produced 14 packets of crack cocaine and $800.00 in cash. Young Person's cell phone rang. The cop answered it. The caller wished to purchase drugs.

You with us so far? Pretty straight forward one would think. Catch the kid selling drugs. Badabing, Badaaboom. One drug dealer off the street.

Shake your head. Didn't happen that way. The first judge found Young Person guilty, accepting all evidence and circumstances. Young Person, who to any one with an IQ above 40 would agree was guilty, felt his Charter rights were violated.

Alberta's Appeal Court judges, in their infinite wisdom, declared the search a Charter violation. To add insult, the judges rejected the undercover drug officer with 13 years experience as an expert witness. The Court wrote there was no evidence the officer was any more qualified than any other officer. Yikes!

The Court further wrote that the officer was not justified in detaining the suspect even though neighbourhood residents had repeatedly complained to police of the drug sales and Young Person fit the behaviour of a drug salesman. The Court concluded that even though the suspect was under legal age and absent of adult supervision at 12:22 am on a Sunday morning, he had the right to be free of police interference.

And you wonder why we have such high youth crime?

Here's the clincher and a slap in the face of law enforcement and law-abiding citizens everywhere. The Court criticised the officer saying he neglected to take advantage of other available investigative techniques. He neglected to ask the youth what he was doing, the officer didn't run the kid's vehicle plate, and didn't call for back-up. Have these judges done a ride-along recently?

The Court concluded their jurisprudent travesty by writing that although the public has a desire for the detection of drug traffickers, they have an equal desire to come and go as they please, free from police interference, without detention and search. Even a kid who should be under adult supervision?

All judges don't mock the law. A British Columbia secondary school wasn't able to get a handle on their on-site drug sales because the dealers and customers knew the undercover cops by sight. A teacher, whose tenth grade student was assaulted by the drug dealer, volunteered to observe the same exchanges for which the Alberta cop was castigated. Drug dealer was arrested, tried, convicted and the B.C. Court of Appeals upheld the conviction.

How would you react to detention?

A RCW member said he was driving on Highway 1 near Chilliwack, B.C. heading east returning to Kamloops when a police car passed him, flashing lights, got in front and slowed down. Another police car was on his rear bumper. Flashing lights. He pulled to the side of the road and immediately both Mounties were at both doors with Smith's drawn. They yelled for him to exit the car which he did immediately. They handcuffed him, patted him down, removed his wallet and placed him in the back of one of the police cars (PC). They then called dispatch for his information.

Scary enough so far?

Turns out his vehicle matched the description of one fleeing a bank robbery fifteen minutes previously. No plate number was obtained so police were stopping every vehicle matching the description.

Once the Mounties cleared the driver with dispatch, they apolgized, explained their behaviour and the driver was on his way, pleased with the members' thoroughness, professionalism and courtesy.

The bank robber was caught shortly thereafter driving an exact duplicate of the RCW member's vehicle..
The Alberta kid? He was acquitted. Cut and paste full details of the Alberta Court of Appeals absurdity at: http://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abca/doc/2009/2009abca75/2009abca75.html

Rural Crime Watch Column for July 15, 2009

"Two for One"

This is the going rate for criminals when sentenced; get credit for twice your time served.

How about "Two for One" for assault? How about for robbery? Kidnapping?

Robert Wingie of McBride, British Columbia, received an 18 month sentence in an Alberta court for kidnapping a seven-year-old girl. He got in on the "Two for One" sale for the nine months already spent in jail.

Crown prosecutor John Higgerty said there is no reason to believe Wingie will re-offend.

Really?

That differs considerably from noted British Columbia Child Psychologist Dr. Michael Catchpole's position on pedophiles. Catchpole believes these offenders can not be rehabilitated.

In the victim's impact statement read in court, the child's dad said, "I could not protect my daughter from this and I feel like I let her down. Since the day of the kidnapping there has been a sadness in her that hasn't left."

Will Victoria Stafford's killers be treated similarly by the justice system?

Ivan Henry, 60, was found guilty of rape and assault in 1983 and was released this year into a North Vancouver neighbourhood. He had a previous record of attempted rape and was declared a dangerous offender. CBC said the Parole Board categorized Henry, "as an untreated, violent sexual offender who was at a high risk to re-offend."

Neighbours and parents are outraged by his presence and the fact that they were not consulted or told about his arrival. Lynnwood, Washington residents had a similar concern recently. They were unsuccessful in their appeal to local law enforcement. That pedophile moved after his house burned.

You think "Two for One" is outrageous? How about "Three for One"?

Curtis Vidal, 28, was acquitted last year on charges of assault, robbery, unlawful confinement, extortion and possession of a weapon. Victims and witnesses found their memory failed and were unable to support the prosecution. Vidal was previously convicted in 2006 of assaulting an Agassiz couple. In July '07 he shot up an SUV with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, lead police on a high speed chase terminating when an apartment building wouldn't move. Oddly he escaped but was arrested the next day. In August '02 he received a lifetime ban from possessing firearms.

Vidal was convicted on May 8 and will be sentenced in August. He was asking the court to grant him three for one time, meaning he wanted each day already spent in jail to count as three days. Vidal told the court that he'd been isolated from human contact during his current prison time in a small cell with dim lighting, a broken shower, cold meals and no access to the library, television or computers.

Vidal's defence attorney announced recently that Vidal has abandoned his request for triple time.

But the sad part for law abiding citizens is that the crown is asking for only a six year sentence.

RCW has requested clarification from MP Cathy McLeod. We understood there is current legislation making ten years a minimum sentence for any firearms related crime.

British Columbia law enforcement is adding video systems to 320 more police cars which will provide irrefutable evidence about incidents such as the abusive grandma we wrote about recently.

Governor General Michaëlle Jean honoured Cst. Timothy Dunlap of "K" division and Calgary Sgt. Paul Phee with the Star of Courage for their bravery in evacuating Airdre, Alberta townhouse residents during a fire in August 2005.

RCW extend sincere appreciation to former CRD Director Maureen Pinkney and current Directors Al Richmond, Art Dumaresq and Bruce Rattray and the CRD for their financial support of our successful crime prevention program.

We also extend our appreciation to Peter and Betty Lunn and their exceptional staff for their creation and support of our web page, for hosting our fan-out system and their financial commitment and support.

Rural Crime Watch Column for July 1, 2009

Age and gender have nothing to do with police response. The man who shot and killed the Washington D.C. museum guard on June 10 was 88 years old. James von Brunn opened fire with a rifle and killed security officer Stephen T. Johns. Von Brunn is hospitalized with wounds inflicted by two security guards coming to Johns' aid. Washinton law enforcement indicate that Von Brunn has a white supremacist website that rages against Jews and Christians. He will be charged with murder and a hate crime. He is a convicted felon who legally could not possess firearms.

You may remember 66 year old Eleanor Bumpurs, the New Yorker who was shot and killed by police after going after the officers with a knife.

A 72 year old grandmother. How dangerous can she be?

Very!

Here is the You tube video of the Tasered grandma about which you've undoubtedly heard. You may find the suspect's media response of interest given the police car's video camera's detail: Go to our web site and cut/paste this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilkz6hg2hbA&feature=response_watch

Age and gender are irrelevant indicators of a person's predisposition for violence. Kelly Ellard and Warren Glowatski were restless youths who had a propensity for violence at the other end of the age spectrum. They represent bored, unsupervised teens who unleashed violence without forethought or regret.

Ellard and Glowatski lured an unsuspecting Reena Virk beneath a Victoria B.C. bridge where they attacked her. Virk escaped only to have her assailants peruse and resume the attack which ultimately killed Virk.

Profiling and stereotyping to predict behaviour is also futile. "Ellard didn't fit the profile of a psychopath," said Rebecca Godfrey, author of Under the Bridge in which she details the horror. "Ellard was a prim, pretty girl. She had seemingly nice parents, and a good home. She wasn't outwardly at all what people would have expected."

Did the assailants' prison time and experience illicit sorrow and remorse? Did their aging alter their psychotic behaviour? Ellard - who was 15 at the time of the killing - has served seven years while playing the system for a new trial. She may be eligible for parole now. The Parole Board must decide if she exhibits the above traits.

Godrey said it was interesting to observe the different post murder paths chosen by Glowatski and Ellard. "Glowatski emerged with more humanity. He was able to try to turn his life around and find help and reach out and recognize people that could help him and be open to the idea of improving his life, and making amends. Ellard, by contrast, has never received the kind of help Glowatski sought. She was initially sentenced to juvenile correctional facilities but is now in an adult prison. She is an isolated and angry individual."

Here's one more to convince you. Shawna Forde, 41 was recently charged with killing a nine-year old Arizona girl and her dad. Forde ran for Everett, Washington mayor in 2007 on an anti-immigration platform.

So, after reading this, of which group are you wearier? Old ladies? Old men? Teenagers? Men, Women? Everyone?

Peruse http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/2813/facesofted.html?200914 and note that Ted Bundy, executed for mass murder, speaks to the above.

Don't stereotype your safety.

No one said criminals were smart but we thought prison officials were smarter. Calvin Adams, 39 and Jeffrey Grinder, 32 were serving time in Little Rock Arkansas for murder. Prison surveillance cameras showed them putting on prison guard uniforms and leaving the prison unchallenged. Their jobs in prison? Making prison guard uniforms. They were apprehended by a New York State Trooper making a traffic stop.

Note we didn't say, "Routine Traffic Stop."

Rural Crime Watch Column for June 17, 2009

AMBER ALERT! When to issue?

This is a controversy in Ontario after the loss of Victoria Stafford. Oxford Community Police Service is being criticized for their decision not to issue an Amber Alert for Victoria immediately upon verification of her missing status. The Ontario Amber Alert System is being reviewed by th eOPP-Ontario Provincial Police.

Tori Stafford left school around 3:30 p.m. on April 8 and was reported missing to police around 6 p.m. Recent information indicates Tori may have died the same day she was abducted. Critics want to know why an Alert wasn't issued immediately.

RCW contacted the Oxford Police Service early in the investigation. They confirmed that no Amber Alert had been issued but they were receptive to us listing her information on our web page under Bulletins.

In 1996, the brutal kidnapping and murder of Arlington, Texas 9 year old Amber Hagerman resulted in Amber Alert program. Amber Alert first came to British Columbia on National Missing Children’s Day, May 25th 2004, and has proven to be a successful law enforcement tool.

British Columbia's AMBER Alerts are issued by the RCMP or local police in certain child abduction situations. Radio/TV stations and highway message boards are provided details of the alert and the Amber system automatically issues it to B.C. Rural Crime Watch on our web site as a ticker tape across the bottom of the Home page.

An Alert is issued for the most serious, time-critical child abduction cases. It is not intended for cases involving parental abductions, except in life-threatening situations-a law enforcement decision. The RCMP state that the following conditions must be met for an Amber Alert to be issued:
Victim is under the age of 18.
Reasonable grounds to believe that the victim has been abducted.
Reasonable grounds to believe the victim is in imminent danger.
Sufficient descriptive information about the victim, abductor and/or the vehicle involved.
The alert can be issued in a time frame that will provide a reasonable expectation that the child can be returned or the abductor apprehended.

The RCMP encourages the public's participation in an Amber Alert situation. "The early stage of the investigation into an abducted child is critical. Every minute counts. The cooperation of the media and the public is crucial to the police. The determination of police investigators alone is not enough to guarantee the safe recovery of a child. Help from the community is essential. Information obtained quickly through an AMBER Alert can assist in the safe and swift return of abducted children. If you see or hear an Amber Alert, watch for the child, suspect, and or vehicle described in the alert immediately reporting any sightings by calling 911 or your local law enforcement."

The B.C. Amber Alert program recently celebrated its five year anniversary. There were 12,045 children reported missing in British Columbia last year. RCMP Cpl. Annie Linteau stated there have been eight Amber Alerts activations in B.C. since 2004 involving eleven children. All were recovered safely and several within minutes. Of the eight, six were a parental situation involving imminent danger to the child; one involved a stranger and one a violent relationship. Seven were located in British Columbia.

We encourage everyone to check our web site www.ruralcrimewatch.com daily for Bulletins and related information that can assist law enforcement.

Do you think we need changes to our justice system?

An Alberta man accused last year of binding, gagging and robbing a man who befriended him in Nanaimo was sentenced on Wednesday to one day in jail and 18 months probation.

Alexander Beaulieu, 23, of Red Deer, was scheduled for trial in B.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday but instead entered the guilty plea in provincial court to theft under $5,000.

Crown prosecutor John Carpenter said that Beaulieu met the other man in April 2008 and discovered they were both from Red Deer.

The man invited Beaulieu to stay with him and is alleged to have then bound and gagged him before stealing his wallet and car. Carpenter stayed charges against Beaulieu of forcible confinement, choking to overcome resistance and robbery.

Defence lawyer Victor Svacek said that in April 2008 Beaulieu had a serious drug problem and said the theft was not planned but done as a way for him to get back to Alberta.

Rural Crime Watch Column for June 3, 2009

Did you?
  Are you sure?
  Maybe you should check?
  You say you do it without fail each and every time?
  You're sure you didn't make a mistake?
  You say you thought you made a mistake once but you were mistaken?
  Better check.
  You did?
  Great! You locked the house doors.
  Now you're safe. Or, are you?
  
  You say you read our every column, live in Code Yellow when out and about. You're a defensive driver. You don't send money to African princes or give your credit card number to those you don't know.
  
  And now Rural Crime Watch is telling you that you may not be as safe as you thought?
  
  Well, maybe, if there's credibility to the recent email hype regarding Lock Bumping.
  
  Lock Bumping has been around for many years in the locksmith community but the technique has just recently surfaced in the general population, no thanks to the internet. The U.S. patent office lists them as far back as 1928, not as lock bumpers but lock picking devices.
  
  All it takes is a specially-cut "bump key" known as a "999 key" by locksmiths-all the notches are cut to the same length plus a rubber ring.
  
  The special key is inserted into the lock and tapped lightly. This aligns the tumblers for just a second allowing the thief to turn the bolt.
  
  Germany was the first country to report crimes committed by bump key thieves in August '06 and since then the topic has taken off on the internet with Google listing sites selling the keys from fourteen to fifty dollars.
  
  Go to our web site, Column, and cut/paste this link:
  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5177213949300140850 to view a how to video.
  
  The British Columbia Locksmith Association hadn't heard of lock bumping prior to our call but they explained that blocking any such unauthorized entry is quite simple.
  BayArea locks in San Francisco-www.bayarealocks.com. concur and they have a wealth of information on their site and discussed the issue at length with Rural Crime Watch. It's difficult to determine how prevalent lock bumping is because there is no trace of the intruder's activity since the thief would leave as they entered, using the bump key. Considering the pervasiveness of the lock bumping technique might it be prudent to upgrade our locks to prevent lock bumping?
  
  The question is how vulnerable is your home? Obtaining a bump key is not as easy as it sounds. The key has to be cut to the specifics noted above, similar to large apartment complex keys that will slide into each apartment lock but will only turn in the specific apartment door lock for which it was cut. Those keys would be well suited as Bump Keys as they would just have to be filed or cut down as mentioned in the above video. Just taking any key and trying it in a strange door won't work.
  
  B.C. Locksmith Association suggests eliminating the threat by purchasing non-pin tumbler locks such as rotating disk locks, electronic or magnetic locks. RCW suggests you consult a qualified and reputable locksmith for advice. EBay has anti-bumping information at: http://shop.ebay.ca/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=bump+keys&_sacat=See-All-Categories
  
  If you have an existing security system that you remember to activate when home alone the alarm will sound and you can respond. In your absence your designated responder will be notified the moment the door is open.
  
  Using WD-40 or similar lubricant will not prevent Bumping but like any lubricant, enhance the procedure.
  
Give us your feed-back at www.ruralcrimewatch.com
  

Rural Crime Watch Column For May 20, 2009

  Sheepdog or vigilante?
    
    Canada's National Post says about Brian Knight, "This is not vigilantism. A vigilante would have fed the thief to the pigs or dressed him in chains and cinder blocks and taken him for a swim in Buffalo Lake. No cops, no lawyers, no problem. So pay attention thieves, only in Alberta will you find a whole community closing in on you if you try and steal the equipment of a family business. Only in Alberta are they not content to sit quietly and wait for the police to arrive and copy serial numbers."
    
    Only in Alberta? We think not.
    
    British Columbia has similar communities which have done likewise and others which are prepared to do the same. The time for honest citizens to sit back and allow thieves and bullies to run rampant is over.
    
    Do some newspapers print police media releases without checking accuracy? Of course they do and without repercussions against the police for inaccuracy. Here is the epilog from one who was present.
    
    Brian Knight found three men attempting to steal his ATV. He confronted them while his spouse called friends and neighbours. One thief took off on the ATV while the other two fled in a pick-up. Brian chased the ATV thief in his car, caught up to the thief and forced the guy off the road. The thief fled and Brian used his shotgun to send a blast over the thief's head. Note, over his head! The thief stopped, raised his hands and allowed Brian and his friends to complete a citizen's arrest. Then Brian erred, he called the police. He never anticipated the law would turn on honest citizens protecting their property.
    
    Brian's been charged with; 1) pointing a firearm at a thief. 2) Possessing a weapon dangerous to a thief. 3) Discharging a weapon dangerous to a thief. 4) Possession of an unregistered firearm and, ready for this? 5) Dangerous driving! You know the National Firearms Association's legal department will be involved because of the unregistered firearm charge.
    
    A few nights later one of the thieves who escaped, tried stealing from one of those who captured his buddy. He was caught. This time the farmers didn't call police. Mmm, wonder why? Chances are this thief will take his felonious skills where he won't receive bodily damage for his thieving ways.
    
    It has been said that defining Canadian maleness is the cowardly males who walked out of the classroom while the gunman prepared to assassinate the female students; the males who waited in the hallway, listening to the killing shots and did nothing. The males who when Mark/Lepine Gharbi came out of the Ecole Polytechnique classroom that fateful day twenty years ago and walked by them, they did nothing.
    
    Rural Crime Watch believes Canada's Brian Knights define Canadian maleness.
    
    Wolves start fights. Sheepdogs finish them.
    

Rural Crime Watch Column for May 6, 2009

Shots fired!
Watch Lake Rd., Lone Butte. Monday April 13. 5:30 PM. Small Calibre. Ranchers investigated but found nothing. Black Bear season is April 1 to June 30 but the calibre wasn't large enough for bear. Shouldn't be hunting from road anyway. No damage seen. But the area has a number of children who play in the bush. This isn't an isolated incident. Other communities have had similar occurrences. If you know of this incident please contact RCW and if you hear shots in your area call 911 and notify RCW.

As a ruralist, are you safer than your urban cousin? Or do you just think you are? MacLean's magazine's "The Most Dangerous Canadian Cities" 2008 data shows Vancouver is 72 percent above the national crime rate for all crimes. The most dangerous Canadian community with respect to murder is Port Coquitlam with 365 percent above the national rate. Robbery is prevalent in Vancouver at 180 percent. Auto theft is highest in Prince George at 194 percent and Chilliwack at 130.

The RCMP's personnel placement is determined by these stats. So places like Prince George and Chilliwack could see an increase in personnel at the expense of rural detachments. What are ruralists options? Being ever vigilant; watching out for each other and RCW may be all you have. Or is it?

Most people are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who would only hurt one another by accident. Then there are wolves. Wolves feed on sheep. They have a capacity for violence and no empathy for their fellow citizens. They are aggressive sociopaths. This is reality. There is no safety in denial.

Then there are sheepdogs. They are warriors. They walk toward gunfire, not away. The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. They look like a wolf. They have a capacity for violence but they differ from wolves in that they love their fellows. Sheepdogs disturb sheep. The sheepdog is a constant reminder that there are wolves. Sheep would prefer that sheepdogs didn't have guns, give traffic tickets, or be airport security armed with an automatic rifle. Most LEOs-law enforcement officers are sheepdogs. Some aren't. Some LEOs don't like civilian sheepdogs.
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, www.killology.com says, "Sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog acknowledges reality."

After the Can Jet high jacking in Jamaica recently, most sheep, that is, most citizens said, "Thank God I wasn't on that plane." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "I wish I could have been there, I could have made a difference."

British political writer Edmund Burke noted in the seventeen hundreds that, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (and women) to do nothing."

Alberta's Brian Knight is being heralded a sheepdog for his shooting of thieves/wolves as they made off with his ATV. Charges are pending against Knight. What do you think will happen to the thieves?

The media neglected to mention in Knight's incident that a theft under $5,000.00 gets an honourable mention in police logs. Couple that with the hour police response time to Knight's property, the wrist slapping for the theft the culprits will receive and you might understand Knight's frustration. No criticism of the RCMP, with the lack of funds and personnel that's what we get. Go to our web site for sheepdog information and current data on Knight.

What are ruralists' options with decreasing police coverage and the rise in rural thefts? Who are your sheepdogs? Let us hear from you, www.ruralcrimewatch.com .

Shoot and Capture a Thief. Brian Knight

Courtesy of National Post

Several people have heard the story of farmer Brian Knight -- who shot and captured a thief who stole his all-terrain vehicle -- and responded with a sneering, "Only in Alberta." I would like to repeat this message, so that the actions of Mr. Knight in defending his property can help protect mine, too.

So pay attention, thieves: Only in Alberta are homeowners armed, and ready to shoot straight. Only in Alberta will you find a whole community closing in on you if you try to steal the equipment of a family business. Only in Alberta are we not content to sit quietly and wait for the police to arrive and copy serial numbers. You are much safer plying your trade elsewhere. Preferably in one of those places where the nice people would think it barbaric to shoot you.

Brian Knight, 38, runs a farm near the hamlet of Tees, east of Lacombe; its rodeo venue is home to an annual donkey and mule show. Last Wednesday morning, Knight heard some noise and confronted three men outside his home. Two made the smart choice to hop into their truck and vamoose, but the third, hoping not to leave empty-handed, had jumped on a nearby four-wheel ATV and sped off on it. Knight got in his own truck, chased down the stranger on his ATV, and rammed it off the road. When the suspect fled, Knight fired a shotgun at him. No details of the ammunition have been provided, but buckshot or road salt would be good guesses; in any case, it amounted to distinctly less lethal force than a policeman might have used in the same circumstances. (No word on whether any staplers were found on the perpetrator.)

The lightly injured thief kept running, but was eventually rounded up by Knight's neighbours and kin. In a moment of deranged inspiration, he even tried to make off with another truck in which he was left to bleed while the cops were called. Knight now faces seven criminal charges, including assault, criminal negligence causing bodily harm and dangerous driving. The thief was taken to Edmonton, bandaged up and released by police without bail after being charged. The RCMP will not name him, but a local spokesman warned: "Don't take the law into your own hands. Contact the police as soon as possible, because all you're going to do is get yourself into trouble."

Perhaps only in Alberta do people still understand that this is nonsense -- that the police's privilege of investigating and punishing crime is derived from our primary right of self-defence, which we delegate but do not abandon, and that property is an extension of ourselves, and may be defended in the same way and for the same reasons we are allowed to defend our persons. No RCMP officer is transferred to an aboriginal community without abundant cultural-sensitivity training. Maybe something similar, perhaps involving a careful reading of John Locke's philosophy, should be done before assigning them to the Alberta countryside. (If Knight is found guilty, do you suppose he will get the benefit of a "sentencing circle" made up of other farmers from around Tees?)

Rural Crime Watch Column for March 4, 2009

Your detachment has two retirees, one on maternity leave and one on stress leave, leaving your community four members short. The federal government places a moratorium on RCMP overtime. Detachment commanders park half their PCs-police cars. No money for fuel.

The force closes the Regina Training Depot until further notice. Many police forces follow suit, cutting class numbers or closing their training system entirely. Attrition continues.

Morale? What's that? It's gone, along with adequate staffing. Crimes increase.

The above has occurred during previous economic downturns with catastrophic results. Will tax-payers allow it again? Will rural residents accept the results?

Former Edmonton police chief, Robert Lunney has experienced a number of recessions requiring deep budget and personnel cuts. In one down turn, voluntary staff cuts averted layoffs. In another recession all provincial public servants endured a three year wage freeze. He considered these mistakes.

During previous slumping economies, there was less property crime but more cash thefts such as kidnapping ATM holders for their pins. Drug production increases. Which agency will put the breaks on meth labs and grow operations?

Will the savings generated by staff cuts equate the cost of increased crime?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's infamous governor made similar cuts in law enforcement with dramatic results.

Alternatives?

One British Columbia community hired retired Mounties for specific problem areas using creative budgeting to solve the financial crisis. That decision came back to bite them later but their crime stats showed the inventiveness worked.

Vancouver gang shootings are creating nervous citizens, resulting in rural lower mainland communities choosing RCW as their additional safety measure utilizing the organization's key: watching out for each other and reporting neighbourhood incongruity to law enforcement-drawing on neighbour support.

Lower mainland LEOs-law enforcement officers, are asking for the public's assistance in putting the brakes on the violence but are quick to acknowledge arresting participating gang members will be useless if judges continue to release them back into the community to continue their rampage. A San Francisco LEO expressed his outrage at their judicial system which also releases many of its criminals either on their own recognizance or bail. Go to www.ruralcrimewatch.com and the main page. Click on Bulletins, then cut and paste the link under the item regarding judicial systems to view the San Francisco experience.

What are B.C. residents going to do to maintain community safety? The provincial government has announced it will add X number of additional police officers and prosecutors to work the gang problem. The government will shift personnel from one department to another to meet this promise. But at what cost? Which crimes will not be prosecuted? Which communities will have their law enforcement numbers reduced?

RCW encourages members to contact their MLA. Go to our web page listed above, click on Column and this article, then cut and paste this link: http://www.leg.bc.ca/Mla/3-1-1.htm Communicate your feelings to your MLA.

RCW has received a number of enquiries regarding Amber Alerts received over the internet and as text messages. Amber Alerts are law enforcement generated and are automatically sent to our web site and scrolled across the main page. RCW is also altered and generates a computer fan-out message to members. If you're in doubt about an Alert, please use the contact numbers listed.

As well, an email is circulating about "Lauren" who allegedly thwarted a potential attacker by dialling #77 on her cell. RCW verified this is misinformation and encourages any one receiving this email to advise their sender of its falseness. LEO's in Canada and the U.S. advise to use 911.

RCW encourages members to report community concerns to RCW as well as police that we may share the information with others.

RCW has a five minute spot on the Rhode Show, CKBX in 100 Mile House with Larry Rhode at 7:05 AM every Tuesday. Email us your questions/concerns and tune in every Tuesday.

Rural Crime Watch Column For February 18, 2009

There was no blood! There were no assailants! No automatic rifles. No hostages. No dead and injured. The carnage wasn't there.

What was there? The SWAT-Special Weapons and Tactical Team.

They had assault rifles. They swarmed Doug and Debbie's house at 10 PM while the couple and their three year old daughter were asleep.

The couple was shaken awake by police sirens. Their house shook from a helicopter's vibration as it hovered overhead. Doug jumped out of bed and ran to the front door. He was blinded by a high intensity light beam as a bullhorn blasted from his front yard, stating his house was surrounded by a SWAT team. He was ordered outside.

Debbie was frantic with fear. Their daughter was screaming from her bedroom. Debbie scrambled for the bedroom phone to dial 911 but found there was no dial tone. Fear crippled her.

Doug complied. He opened the front door and was met by a blinding light. He was grabbed by two men who forced him to the ground. One man put his knee into Doug's back, forced his arms behind him and applied handcuffs. Doug was terrified. What the hell is going on, he thought. He thought he was going to die.

Other officers swarmed his house, each entering a room with their assault rifles equipped with high intensity lights. One grabbed his daughter and removed her from the scene while other officers forced Debbie to the bedroom floor in her nightgown and cuffed her.

It was only a few minutes but the terror seemed to go on for a lifetime.

Doug was sitting in the back of a black SUV; guarded by two heavily armed men when a third officer appeared and started asking him questions.

Doug was a computer programmer. Debbie was a kindergarten teacher. Their daughter went to pre-school. The questions were non-stop. After about thirty minutes a forth officer joined the three guarding and questioning Doug. They chatted quietly for a few moments, and then she approached Doug, asked him to come out of the vehicle. She uncuffed him. Debbie came running to him, holding their daughter.

Doug and Debbie were the victims of a telephone fraud that exploits innocent citizens. The attacks, called "swatting", are perpetrated on the unsuspected by psychopaths miles from the assault team. In Doug's case, the call came from a high school student who was delighted that his scam about a drug-fuelled murder was believed. He was arrested within hours of his sick joke. He's being prosecuted.

The student psycho utilized an internet-based phone service, entered bogus information about his fictional location, making it appear to the 911 operator that he was calling from inside Doug and Debbie's home. According to prosecutors, "Bobby" had chosen his prey at random. Doug and Debbie were one of 185 similar calls he'd made to various North American police departments.

Unlike landline phones which are registered to a fixed address and display that to 911 operators, computer generated and cell calls can appear to originate from anywhere. Cell phone manufacturers are in the process of incorporating GPS-Global Positioning System which will allow law enforcement to trace the calls. Internet calls can be traced through the IP address.

"Bobby's" parents are a quiet, law-abiding couple who had no idea their honour student son was the perpetrator of such terror.

Law Enforcement Officers are asking parents to ensure their children don't use a computer in a bedroom or other isolated location. In addition to swatting, children can be victims of stalkers and pedophiles who trick children into revealing personal and intimate information which the criminals exploit, often to the sorrow of the child and their family.

Rural Crime Watch welcomes the Upper Cache Creek Cattlemen's Association to RCW and invites them and you to contact us at www.ruralcrimewatch.com for questions or comments.

Rural Crime Watch Column for February 4, 2009

"I was the Executive Chef for Donald Trump for ten years. Prior to that I was the Sous Chef for the Hawaiian Hilton at Waikiki, Hawaii for five years. I'm twenty-five and single. I'm seeking a permanent position with your restaurant." This was the resume for a position in a rural family restaurant.
"I was the Executive Manager for the Five Star Chilcotin Plateau Guest Ranch."

These are actual resumes shared by RCW businesses.
We're not sure why some folks lie on a resume. Maybe it's because they assume the employer won't check. They're obviously dishonest and shouldn't be hired. The first one was pretty absurd but the employer checked it out anyway. The second one had possibilities since the applicant was thirty-five. It too was a bust. The applicant was a wrangler.

B.C. Crime Prevention Association cautions employers to check each and every job applicant. Their example of the tragedy of not checking involved a gas station owner who was in urgent need of a replacement employee and hired off the street. Within two weeks the employee failed to report for work and several thousand dollars were missing from the safe. And yes, the employee was given the combination.

In a second example, a small business owner needed a bookkeeper. In his small town there were none available so he hired through the local employment program supported by the federal government. The employer believed the government checked out those they sponsored. He was wrong. The "bookkeeper" defrauded him of $100,000.00 and he'd now in bankruptcy.
Check your applicants. BCCPA suggests you go the extra mile and run a criminal record check as well.

"No shirt. No shoes. No service." That's pretty understandable. If you're lacking in either of these body drapings, the business is going to deny you service. Unfair? Discrimination? Or does it depend on whether the prospective customer is buffed or not? It doesn't matter. The decision is that of the business owner.

A customer comes into your store, bank, insurance office, wearing a balaclava. Wow! 911 Immediately.
What about a Hoodie? It covers a person's face just as complete as the balaclava and yet businesses continue to allow customers entry wearing one.

RCW interviewed a number of rural businesses which host a door sign that reads, "Please Remove Hoodies." No shirt. No shoes. No service. No balaclava.
Each business stated they'd adopted the policy for security reasons. We've been advocating this policy for some time. The business owners said they had very little customer objection. Those who questioned the policy were happy to comply when told the reason. Only one business noted a customer who refused and left. This customer's photo was sent to every business in that town.

Closed Circuit Television-CCTV is becoming more and more a standard operating procedure for rural businesses. In addition, businesses are taking photos of shop lifters and sharing them with other businesses. RCW believes this is an excellent practice to discourage thieves, catch those stupid enough to steal and encourages all businesses to develop an email fan-out system. Contact RCW for assistance at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

RCW encourages businesses to make sure you have reliable participants on your security call-out list. The first person listed will be the one attending the alarm first and confir with the police. RCW encourages business to ensure your building's smoke detector is connected to your security system.

Rural Crime Watch Column for January 21, 2009

Would you like to see your name in the newspaper? Could be exciting. Your fifteen minutes of fame. Or it could be disastrous. What if your picture is for something ominous? Or embarrassing. How about your picture as you leave the detachment from a night in the drunk tank? What if the incident causes community members to talk about you behind your back? Whisper when you walk into a store.
  Get the idea? That’s somewhat of the feeling LEO’s-Law Enforcement Officers-have after a police incident is covered by the media. Do you feel it’s your right to know all? Even before an investigation. Society doesn’t approve that process for citizens detained for questioning or arrested.
  Unfortunately that isn’t the case with LEO’s.
  Baltimore police have stopped identifying officers who kill or injure suspects, believing to do otherwise is putting officers at risk. The department’s media release encourages community involvement rather than police castigation. “The police department is asking residents to become more engaged in their neighbourhoods and to work with police to solve crimes and oversome a ‘Stop Snitching’culture.”
  The idea that a citizen is ‘Snitching’ is prevalent in some rural communities. Some residents fear criminal retaliation. RCW encourages readers to visit our web site and peruse Overcoming Fear in the Column section. There are a number of communities who have overcome their fear by joining together forcing the criminal element to relocate. One community, fed up with the open drug sales, hit the streets in mass, taking down license plate numbers and snapping photos. Twenty-four hours later there wasn’t a drug deal to be observed. There is strength, encouragement and calm in numbers.
  The FBI doesn’t reveal names of their agents. Our RCMP are our national police force. Our FBI if you will. The force may be considering adopting this policy, particularly given the mixed reaction communities have exhibited regarding police procedures.
  Winder driving conditions often result in accident, either single vehicle in the ditch or a collision with another vehicle or wild life. The RCMP is often inundated with notification calls from the public for the same incident. The problem often is that callers don’t have the necessary details resulting in duplicate dispatching. The force encourages and appreciates citizen support and offers a few suggestions to speed response.
  Cst. Steve Holmes asks readers to be aware that rural detachments cover huge geographical areas requiring emergency teams to travel, in some areas over an hour to the far reaches of their enforcement area. He asks drivers to make sure they have a detailed description of the incident and offers the following:
  If you see a crash or a vehicle in the ditch, or believe you are one of the first persons to happen upon it, consider the following:
  Is it possible for you to stop and render assistance?
  If you can’t stop, slow down so you notice someone, get the license plate of the vehicle, possible damage, possible injuries and specific location. If location is unknown, drive until you find a sign or mileage marker that indicates exactly where the vehicle is located and what road/highway you are on.
  If you come across a vehicle in the ditch with no one around and it’s been there for a while, get the license number before calling it in. This time of year there are a number of vehicles in ditches, no emergency evident and days before a tow.
  RCW adds another tip. If you’re out of cell range, consider flagging down a trucker. Most won’t stop, but some will and they have VHF radios capable of reaching assistance.
  Visit our web site at www.ruralcrimewatch.com for current Bulletins and related crime prevention information.
  

Rural Crime Watch Column for January 7, 2009

“911, what is your emergency?”
“Someone is pounding on my front door. I don’t know him. He’s yelling for me to let him in. I’m home alone with my daughter. Please help me.”
“Ma’am, we are sending the police. Please stay in the house and do not open the door. Stay on this line until the officers arrive.”
“911, what is your emergency?”
“I’m at a pub with my friends playing pool and watching the game. Two guys are trying to start a fight. Can someone come and prevent this?”
“Yes sir. You’re at the Twiggy Pub on First Street?”
“Yes. Someone better get here fast. Punches are starting to fly.”
“Sir, the members are in the parking lot, entering the pub now.”
What’s your emergency? Cops are great aren’t they? They come whenever you call. No questions asked. Some readers will remember when you were a kid and your parents told you to always look for a policeman whenever you were lost or needed help. No different today.
What’s that worth to you? We mean in taxpayers’ dollars. Not out of your pocket.
Before you answer that, think of these two for a moment. Smith and Wesson. These two sit on the waist of every member, ready to assist in saving your life. Members are prepared to give their life to save yours. Yes, they are. They will put themselves between you and danger.
How much time and energy do members spend honing these skills? How much time do they spend away from their families? A lot.
“911, what is your emergency?”
“We’re being robbed. This guy has a gun, has taken the cash but has the owner with the gun to his head?”
“Sir, members are on their way. Are you in a safe place right now? Stay there until the members find you.”
What do you think the store owner’s opinion of members’ income is? It’s whatever it takes.
The RCMP use to hire right out of high school. Six months training in Regina, then to a detachment training officer for a year. Now the force seeks college and university grads with some life experience. What is the going salary for university grads? Teachers make over $65,000.00. These folks put in five years of university to teach our children. Are we going to cut their salaries? Nurses make $36.00 or so an hour and work 12 hour shifts. Do we want to cut their salaries? How about docs? You get our point.
The federal government is reducing the previously agreed upon 3% per year Mountie increase to 1 ½ percent. Yes, we are in a financial crisis but our solutions can’t compromise our safety. California learned this lesson some time ago; you can not cut the income of your essential services. The results were disastrous.
Contact your MP and share your concern at http://canada.gc.ca but before you do, cut and past this: http://blutube.policeone.com:80/Clip.aspx?key=B260C24EEAA34A2D you’ll observe a fight between a Boston Police officer and a drunk who’s trying to take the officer’s weapon. To defend himself properly the officer would inflict bodily damage to the suspect on which the public frowns. Remember Tasers? That officer is an RCMP member. How much should we pay her/him to be subject to that treatment?
“911, what is your emergency?”

Rural Crime Watch Column for December 24, 2008

Recent B&E’s in various rural communities should be a wake up call to all residents and businesses. This isn’t Leave it to Beaverville. Thieves have gravitated to rural B.C. because we have been naïve in believing crime is an urban problem.
The holiday season is prime time for those who will take what you don’t put away or lock up. An ATV chained to a building. Thieves cut the chain and stole the machine. How did they get on the property unseen? How did they cut the chain? How did they remove the ATV without a key?
Numerous Ruralists have commented to RCW that they moved from the city to get away from crime. Sorry. Ain’t gonna happen. Not unless you retrieve your urban sense of personal and property safety. Then crank them up a notch.
Your rural needs are different than what you had in the city because of the distance between you and your neighbour. But you aren’t at the mercy of thieves and other deviants. The solution? Community. It becomes a greater life influence. So do neighbours.
Make sure you know your neighbours, have their phone numbers readily available and crank up your
house security.

Exterior Security

Consider lighting your exterior 360 degrees with either motion or permanent low wattage light sensitive units. The latter are about $100.00 per. Motion lights can be installed for about $30.00 each. If you’re lacking in installation skills, ask a friend, neighbour or RCW.
Don’t leave equipment outdoors or within sight from the highway. Lock up ladders so they cannot be used to break into your home.
Use automatic garage door openers for easy access. Upon exiting your garage, open the door after you are in your vehicle. Upon entering your garage, close it before you get out of the car. Doors leading from the garage to the house or to the outside need dead-bolts.
Are you expecting service personnel or friends then have to pop out for a few minutes? Don’t leave a note on your door or hide a key outside. Arrange for repairs with a neighbour or a time you will be present.

Interior Security

Dead-bolts are a must on all outside entry doors including the garage and basement doors. Choose the longest bolt available and use at least 3” screws for installation. The bolt is only as good as its attachment to the door frame. These should be kept locked whether you are at home, in the garden or away from the house. Some homeowners prefer key locks on the inside of their exterior doors. RCW considers these hazardous in emergency exiting. If the key happens to be removed the door can’t be opened.
Use solid interior locks/levers to secure all windows. Sliding windows and patio doors need dowels placed in the tracks to make the window impossible to slide open. Make sure they’re locked 24/7.
If you don’t have a clear view of your door’s exterior, consider installing a peep hole to allow you to identify callers before opening the door. Ask for identification from repairmen-through a locked door.
Anyone can obtain a religious pamphlet, come to your door, hold it up to your peep hole and claim to want to save your soul. Don’t feel embarrassed or paranoid by following this safety procedure.
Put timers on interior lights in high occupancy rooms so that when you are away, the lights will illuminate at different times, indicating movement from room to room.
Your answering machine is a good security measure. Keep your message simple, give just your phone number -not your name -and imply that you are occupied elsewhere in the home indicating you're not out of the house. Don’t record, “I’m not home now….” You may as well record, “I’m not home right now so come and help yourself.”
For a woman living alone, it is a good idea to have a male friend or relative record the message. That’s not sexist. Remote access to your machine is an excellent feature for when you are away for several days.
Consider a dog, any breed or size. Barking draws attention the thief doesn't want. Or, consider an electronic barker that attaches to the inside exterior door-knob. When the exterior knob is moved, the device is activated and your “Dog” barks. RCW interviewed several long term prison inmates who readily admitted they would leave any house with a dog and go to the next house.
Security systems vary in complexity and cost. Carefully consider your needs and obtain several quotes. Consider using cell for monitoring rather than land lines that can be cut. Phone lines were cut in a number of security protected businesses recently. Make sure you have reliable participants on your call-out list. RCW executives are first respondent for a number of businesses. Meaning RCW is the first phone call the monitoring company makes before the police. The executive member attends and makes sure your property is secure and confers with the RCMP.
A RCW Executive was in urbanville recently having vehicle repairs when she was addressed by a mechanic who promptly acknowledged that he was a RCW member with rural property.
Businesses should consider installing CTVs-closed circuit television that will capture all interior and exterior activity. Businesses may also consider modifying their, “No shirt, No Shoes, No Service” policy to, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Hoodies, No Service.” How much business might a business lose by demanding customers reveal their faces? Community minded, law-abiding, law enforcement supporting customers won’t object. Criminals will.
Rural RCMP Traffic Services stopped a teen going 154 km/hr. An hour later another Mountie stopped the same teen driving at the same speed. The driver lost his license. If there isn’t a PARTY program in your community, consider being the catalyst for one. Start at www.partyprogram.org, then contact your detachment, then insist your teen participate and consider attending yourself.
If you have comments or suggestions regarding our column please visit www.ruralcrimewatch.com and follow the links.

Rural Crime Watch Column for December 3, 2008

Ten Seconds! 9,8,7,…… How far can you run in Ten Seconds?
Border Collies, the favourite of ruralists, can cover 50 metres or more in that time.
Imagine for a moment a low life skulking your property. He rounds the barn and comes knee to face with two Border Collies. No head start. 911 for what’s left to take to the ER.
What’s your police pulse? Are you a supporter? Or a qualifier, depending on your moving violation stats? Were you front and centre to castigate members on the Taser issue? You badmouth them? Maybe until you need help?
Mounties are our two legged Border Collies. Recently a rural home alarm system signalled a hold-up. Two minutes and Mounties had an area perimetre with four members. The Mounties didn’t arrive with sirens blasting, but with speed and stealth. Two minutes. The lowlife didn’t know they were there until it was too late. He took off out the back door. Ran smack! Literally. Into a member who took him down hard.
Two minutes. Our Border Collies.
Respect and Support.
Outside a rural bank rrecently, sat a blue grey pick-up wanna-be, engine running and a two year old strapped in the passenger seat. No adult. A RCW member watched the vehicle, questioning herself whether to call the police.
“Doesn’t the driver realize how easy it would be to steal this child? It happens too often” she asked herself.
Five minutes later a man emerged from the bank, waved to the baby and climbed into the cab.
What do you think? Should she or shouldn’t she have called the police? Pretty sad if in fact the child was kidnapped and she did nothing. Remember the child left not too long ago in front of a convenience store and was kidnapped?
What did you ask Santa for? If it was an iPod, you’ll want the anti-theft/anti-attack package too.
LEOs-Law Enforcement Officers-are reporting a rise in iPod thefts and the resulting assault and bodily injury. Michael Oatway, 23, of Ottawa, was killed in a fight over his iPod on a bus.
Many users listen outdoors in White, meaning they are tuned out of their surroundings. Attacks on these people are easy, quick and potentially terminal. Save the ear pod tune out for your English class but remove them once the boring lecture is over and you exit the classroom. Don’t wear them while driving or walking out and about. And obviously from the example above, not on a bus-that’s being out and about!
New vehicle theft MO-Modus operandi (method of procedure) warning. Lock it with the key, not the key phob. A hand-held cloning device is used by thieves sitting in a nearby vehicle. You beep, beep. Leave. They beep, beep. Steal. Whatever you have and quite possibly the vehicle too.
This is an Email Hoax from Alberta.
Toronto mayor David Miller is giving a digital camera and photography lesson in exchange for an illegal or unregistered gun. The program is so popular criminals were seen lined up outside Henry’s Camera stores-where the program is delivered-with weapons in hand, waiting for the Pixels for Pistols.
Chicago, Toronto’s sister city, where Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew were killed, is now the Murder Capital of America. Handguns have been illegal in Chicago since 1982. Chicago's murder rate is up 13 percent with LEOs responding to 27,000 reports of "shots fired," an average of one every 10 minutes.
Don’t think Toronto or Chicago data is irrelevant to ruralists. Our present federal legislation that requires hardened criminals like duck hunters, target shooters, biathlon contestants and similar firearms owners to register their tools with a dysfunctional registrar, proves we are not immune.
Note our newest web site addition, Hoaxes, at www.ruralcrimewatch.com Share your comments at ruralcrimewatch@gmail.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for November 5, 2008 Fear and Intimidation

“You’re going to get hurt! You’ll leave here in an ambulance! You’ll be in the hospital and in pain a very long time!”
That’s intimidation! Performed by a law enforcement officer trying to avoid violence during a bar check where the suspect is drunk, breaking furniture and fighting with anyone available. The member’s task was to remove the suspect peacefully if possible, or violently if necessary.
The member’s next words were, “Or, you can allow me to handcuff you and leave with me now peacefully. Your choice.”
She had honed her defensive tactic skills to intimidate the suspect.
The suspect wasn’t too drunk to choose wisely.
The suspect experienced Fear.
Fear! It can cripple you with greater force than any physical affliction.
RCW often hear of residents’ concerns of being harassed either in their home or elsewhere. Many citizens feel helpless, burying their heads and pretending it isn't happening and won't happen to them. Others decide there is no point in making the necessary changes. They sell their homes and move, then move again and again as they encounter other bullies who seek out their weakness. Others see the need for change and find it challenging, experience joy and excitement at retaking their environment.
Becoming proactive, organizing your friends and neighbours with Rural Crime Watch and learning ways to deal with the bullies is the only real solution that will provide you with the opportunity to have an enjoyable lifestyle, free from Fear.
Rural Crime Watch is expanding provincially and in some communities the bad guys are retaliating with intimidation. Since there is strength in numbers, the bullies may try to divide and conquer. They may seek each person out and intimidate separately. This is where the strength in RCW exists, having friends and neighbours who will stand by your side against the bullies. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was right when he said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
How can bullies isolate law-abiding citizens to harass and intimidate them?
In one rural community Mounties are investigating reports of lone women drivers being followed as they returned home from separate meetings. One woman was just heading out of town when a pick-up truck pulled in behind her and followed her. After making four turns and still being tailed by the truck, she headed for an all night diner. The driver turned off when she pulled into the parking lot. She had a physical description of the driver and the vehicle. She was not to be intimidated.
A second woman was rear-ended by a dark SUV as she waited for the one traffic light at about 5 am on her way to work. The woman stayed in her car and kept the doors locked and was calling 911 when the man approached from the rear. She kept the windows rolled up and told him she had called the police. This woman wasn’t going to be intimidated either. However, it may have been wiser to head for a populated location and deal with the rear-ending later.
Bullies quickly discover that they can’t isolate you in the market, gas station or elsewhere without other citizens coming to your aid. The bad guys also learn quickly that you and the community will not accept their harassment.
One ruralist, having been intimidated for years by several bullies, met one in the grocery store. She was minding her own business when he saw her and started his swagger down the aisle, bent on doing as he had always done, put Fear in her. But this woman wasn’t the same as she was the previous month when he did his bullying. She had become a RCW member, had been reading, exchanging emails and had built her self-confidence. She stood sideways in the aisle; hands at her side, head erect watching him approach. As he walked by she knew he felt her changed aura. She was no longer his to harass.
Bullies play on intimidation and fear and when neither works they have nothing left. In many rural communities the bad guys have packed up and moved on because residents ceased to fear them, are looking out for each other, reporting suspicious and criminal activity to the RCMP and generally making criminal life and intimidation unprofitable for the low life criminals.
Go to www.ruralcrimewatch.com and “Column” for more information on Overcoming Fear.

Overcoming Fear

YOUR HOME:

Evaluating your present situation is the first step in your reclamation project. Does your home have dead bolts and peep holes on exterior doors? They are inexpensive and easy to install and offer considerable defense against unwanted entry and perusal of visitors at the door. Are your windows well secured? If your windows are of the sliding variety, place a piece of dowel in the groove (measure the space and the lumber yard will cut it for you). If your windows have a latch and push either out or in, make sure the latch is well secured to the frame.
Consider the exterior of your home. Are there shrubs near windows that could conceal someone tampering with your windows? Trim them or have them removed/relocated--your safety comes before aesthetics. Are there shrubs by your entry? Someone could conceal themselves there as you approach your home. Are there ladders or similar equipment stored outside where it would have easy access by a burglar? Store them in a garage of shed and have them out of sight.
When someone comes to your door with whom you're not familiar, ask for identification if the person claims to be a repair person or simply say that you're not interested--speaking through the door--DON'T OPEN IT! You are not being rude so don't chide yourself for your actions. Any caring caller will understand. If you have a 911 service in your area, program your phone for it, if not, program the law enforcement emergency number. Have your street address written by the phone. Often stress can cause the simplest of information to temporarily escape us. Have a light by the phone. If you hear a suspicious noise outside, such as someone rattling your windows or door, quietly call 911, don't investigate.

YOUR CAR:

Your parked car can often be a haven for would-be assailants. Park away from obstacles that could conceal someone--large trucks/vans, bushes, large garbage containers, behind buildings etc.. In a tiered parking lot, park close to the stairs if a spot is empty or wait for one to become available. If this is impossible, then search for a spot that meets the criteria mentioned above. As you're driving, be cognizant of individuals in cars or those walking about. Stay in your car until they leave or leave yourself. As you exit your car, continue to be observant as you leave the parking area.
When returning to your car, always have your keys in hand, ready to open your car door. As you approach your vehicle, do so from an angle so you can observe around and underneath. Before you enter your car, glance in the back seat/floor. Once in, lock all doors immediately.
Car jacking is a rapidly developing activity that has prevented many people from using their car. It isn't necessary to deprive yourself of the joy and necessity of driving. Car jacking will only occur when you're stopped at a light or parking your car. As you approach a stop light or enter the parking area, roll up your windows. That's not hard to remember--be a defensive driver and have your mind on driving. Keep all doors locked. If you're rear-ended, and in a remote or uninhabited area, signal to the other driver to follow you and drive to a populated gas station or similar area and deal with the accident. Before you get our of your vehicle look around and observe your surroundings. You'd do the same if you parked next to a construction sight so this isn't any different. An obvious yet often overlooked safety procedure is picking up hitchhikers. Prisons are bulging with "clean cut" assailants.

YOURSELF:

" Okay, I've made sure my home and car are safer and I'll take the necessary precautions, but what if?" That question is best answered with a question posed to yourself. "Am I worth the effort to learn to protect myself?" "Can I be aggressive and attack my attacker?" If the answer to these queries is "Yes", then you have accomplished a great deal. Assailants look for "Vics", those of us who walk as though preoccupied. Carry yourself erect, shoulders back, head up and look at people you pass. Eye contact or lack of it tells an assailant you want to avoid confrontation and he'll pick up on that. You don't need to lock on to his face or stare, a look catching his eye, then looking up or off to the side, not down (a passive message) is all that is necessary to get the message across that you're aware of his presence and that you're in charge of yourself. If a stranger stops you in the street and asks directions, ignore them and quickly and move on. This simple and charitable act is often a ruse for assailants. If someone pulls up in a car and asks directions, give them if you wish, but be aware of anyone approaching from behind who could shove you toward the car and don't approach the car. These methods of prevention are easy and simple to adopt. You'll become more aware and increase your appreciation of your environment.
If you are confronted by someone who is obviously bent on causing you harm, you've already decided you'll take aggressive action. You will feel an adrenaline rush which is normal. Don't dismiss this feeling but use it in the form of anger that this person would have the audacity to do you harm. As he approaches, turn your body slightly to effect a left foot forward and rear foot slightly behind and your weight balanced. You have controlled anger. You are emitting an aura that can’t be intimidated. Remember, your primary concern must be your mind set--that you can and will do whatever is necessary to prevent being a victim.
The key to regaining control of your life and alleviating the Fear is to decide that you are worth every effort to be in command and that you'll do whatever is necessary to anyone who attempts to do you physical harm.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of the above, call any RCW member or use the contact info on the web site.

Rural Crime Watch Column for October 29, 2008

“DO NOT FEED THE BEARS”
  The sign was 3 metres square erected on the side of the road.
  Parked next to it were a line of cars, all of which had spewed bear feeders.
  One man and his son were feeding saltine crackers to a large black bear. The package empty, the dad and son walked back to their car, presumably joyous with conversing with nature.
  But the bear wasn’t done. He wanted more crackers.
  Just as the dad and boy reached their vehicle someone yelled, “Bear!”
  The dad turned to see the bear loping towards him.
  Immediately the dad yanked open the car door, threw his son in and closed the door.
  But the dad forgot the window was down. Urgently he fumbled for his car key, stuck it in the ignition, started the car and rolled up the window. As the window wound home, the bear arrived, reared and put his paws on the roof and began clawing, trying to get more saltines.
  Dad didn’t figure to drive away and sat terrified in his vehicle, the bear rocking it back and forth as other feeders watched, either in horror or amusement.
  Saltines? Apples? Both are divine to a bear.
  And no, you can’t leave your fallen apples and shoot the feeding bear and claim ignorance. Bear baiting is illegal in B.C. So is discharging a firearm in a residential area-even if that residential area is in the boonies.
  RCW has met many transplanted urbanites whose idea of conservation is intimately commiserating with bears. One couple hosted a bear family for years, feeding them dog food on their porch. Each spring Momma bear would bring her cubs to the feeder. One spring a sow-momma-became aggressive, rearing on the couple’s sliding door, clawing, shaking her head side to side. Regrettably the couple felt it was time to leave the bears to their own and stopped feeding them. Ouch! The house was damaged with teeth and claw marks and for several days the couple were trapped inside as the bears circled the house seeking entry.
  They knew a call to the conservation office would ring with criticism, undoubtedly a fine and the bears’ demise.
  After several days the bears left but returned each spring hoping their cornucopia had returned.
  Another cheechako-newby- tried to figure out why his dog’s dish was always empty even though he loaded it with 10 cups daily. One morning he awoke to growling from his car port. Nope, his dog was sleeping beside the bed. The growling? Coyotes fighting over the empty dish.
  Readers are encouraged to accept the reality of rural living. Encounters with wild animals is a given and how you react depends on your preparation. Or not.
  Whether it’s momma or papa, a bear is a bear is a bear and any sourdough-long time resident-will tell you to be prepared when walking out and about. Not convinced? Give a read to Bear Attacks: The Deadly Truth by James Gary Shelton. Sheldon lives near Bella Coola, Grizzly Country, and has considerable research to support his position.
  Bear Spray or firearm. Some folks just don’t like firearms. And that’s okay, but realize that Bear Spray has its limitations as has been proven numerous times. Distance is the factor. Momma bear has to be in your face before the spray is effective. If you’re firearm savvy, RCW suggests your firearm of choice be a short barrel 12 gauge shotgun loaded first with slugs, and one buckshot round. The latter would be the first round fired to affect a spray followed by numerous slugs.
  Whether you choose Bear Spray or Shotgun, Practice! To do otherwise is inviting failure. It will be a win-lose event and recent bear encounters throughout B.C.’s urban and rural environment point to who is on the winning side.
  Sorry bear lovers, but when it comes to either a bear’s survival or your life, RCW must choose the latter.
  RCW encourages you to peruse www.bcinternet.net/jm and scroll to Eyer Training Services for information on bear and cougar encounter courses and tips to improve your safety during your outdoor sojourns.
  

Rural Crime Watch Column for October 15, 2008

“Do you hear that? Someone’s tryen to break into a vehicle. Let’s go check it out.”
“Nay, don’t bother, those things go off on their own all the time.”
Have you had that conversation with someone?
The second speaker has a point, vehicle alarms do seem to go off by themselves periodically.
The question is; wolf cry or reality?
Recently a woman was on her way from a mall at closing time when she was attacked a few feet from her car. She had the presence of mind to hit the key fob’s Panic Button and set off the vehicle alarm, sending the attacker fleeing and mall security running to her assistance.
RCW suggests readers consider this incident the next time you hear and ignore an alarm.
Another RCW member was filling up at a card lock and heard a building alarm system kick in. Thinking there were many other people in the area he chose to complete his fill and let others attend.
No one did.
Fortunately the church’s alarm system was connected to their smoke detection system and the fire department was there shortly after the blaring began.
Congratulations and Kudos to all our firefighters who have helped countless citizens.
Burglar/fire alarms are a tremendous crime/fire prevention tool. The later obvious by the above example. The church may have been lost had the firefighters not been notified immediately.
Some businesses and homeowners think a security system is expensive and costly to monitor. Not necessarily, when you consider the alternative-tremendous property and financial loss.
The initial cost depends on your chosen system’s complexity. Yours can be as simple as window and door monitors or as complex as monitoring crawl space water levels in case your hot water tank leaks or monitoring your system to turn on your heat and lights remotely.
Most security companies will provide you with a quote and help match your needs to your budget.
RCW suggests you consider cell phone connection to the monitor or if that’s not available, guard your phone line by relocating Telus’ exterior contact box inside and installing a metal phone line guard to the main utility pole. Recently a business had its security system breached by cutting the phone line and disconnecting the roof mounted siren. The later can be protected by mounting inside the sofets.
The monitor call out list is primary. In addition to the police, it involves your neighbours and friends who will have keys and code access. In many neighbourhoods the bad guys know that B&Eing any home in the area will bring a rain of neighbours immediately.
Many insurance companies offer up to 15% premium deduction for a security system and many others are offering deductions for RCW membership.
Halloween is in two weeks and many rural areas will have COP-citizens on patrol-members patrolling businesses and residential areas to prevent Halloween mischief and vandalism, the later of which resulted in a fire destroying two rural businesses last year. RCW encourages readers to be particularly vigilant during this time and report any and all suspicious behaviour to your local detachment or 911. Remember the RCMP would rather roll on a call and find nothing than have citizens making assumptions and a crime occur in their absence.
Barriere RCW is holding an informational and annual general meeting November 3rd 2008 at 1 pm at the Volunteer center at the Ridge on Barriere Town Road. Check the web site under Barriere “Bulletins” for additional information.
Please check our web page www.ruralcrimewatch.com and peruse the 22 member communities, our Bulletins, Successes and Links. If your community doesn’t have RCW, please go to the home page for organizational information.

Rural Crime Watch Column for October 1, 2008

How safe do you feel? How safe are you?

Stats Canada‘s recent report shows that the national crime rate dropped in 2007, its lowest in 30 years.

We know that stats are relative, they can be manipulated to scew the desire outcome as the federal government did with the RCMP stats that lead to the much dispised C-68, the Firearms Control Legislation.

Ditto here. Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says, “There are people in this country that are feeling less safe.”

Assualt with a weapon or causing bodily harm is 32% higher now than ten years ago. Aggravated assualt rose 18% in 2007.

Mike Porteous of the Vancouver Police Major Crime unit says vicious attacks are higher now than previously. Simon Fraser University criminologist Neil Boyd concurs, saying that although B&E’s dropped 40% and vehicle thefts dropped 20% in ten years, drug related violence has risen sharply, primarily in particular neighbourhoods. Boyd notes that if you’re part of the drug lifestyle you are more apt to be a victim of violence. Ditto if you live in that environment and choose poorly with whom you chum.

A person can end up with unfavourable consequences when associating with undesirables.

If you choose to ride with an impaired driver (drugs or alcohol), or joy ride in a stolen car or associate with drug users, or worse, drug dealers, you open yourself to jail time. If you’re with those involved with drugs, in a vehicle stopped by LEO’s, you can be found guilty even though you’re just a passenger.

But you’re invincible, right? Two young male high school students were in the front seat of a vehicle and their dates in the back. The men were on cocaine. They hit a tree. Both men were decapitated. Their dates survived, only to repeat the drinking drug scene the following weekend.

A passenger in a stolen SUV was inadvertently shot and killed by a LEO when the SUV was ramming his police cruiser and endangering his partner’s life.

Stats Canada’s figures show that unemployed youth are the most at risk as are those who frequent bars or other areas that might see drug activity along with the alcohol.

Violent crime for youth has steadily risen over the last ten years and the stats relating to such offenses are skewed because many young criminals are not prosecuted.

The federal government will be addressing the often criticized the Young Offender’s Act this Fall and your input will be requested through your MP. RCW encourages you to participate in the poll or by writing your MP to ensure your voice is heard. Like voting, if you don’t participate, you lose your opportunity to comment.

The RCMP are doing their job as noted recently in Ft. Nelson where Mounties responded to a 911 call- a robbery had just occurred at a gas station. All available members responded and were provided with a suspect and escape vehicle description.

Members put up a perimetre and quickly stopped the vehicle and two occupants who fit the robbery suspect description. The suspects were in possession of the stolen items.

One occupant was later released without charges. Referring to Criminologist Boyd, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and chose her friends poorly.
The other suspect, male, was held pending a court appearance.

The problem is our justice system.

The province takes the gains from crime and that can be a house as was the case recently of a $600,000.00 home from a coastal dope dealer. What this means for Ruralists is the bad guys are moving to the boonies where they can have a minimum building investment, install the lights and air extractors on the cheap and when the Mounties confiscate, their loss is minimal. Please go to our web site for information on how to spot a grow operation.

RCW welcomes readers’ input and can be contacted at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for September 17, 2008

A RCW member was driving by a rural community apartment house, not far from the downtown business core. The apartment was a known drug location. It was 11 AM. She saw a 6’ slim built man wearing dark clothes and a black ball cap exhibiting sculking, furtive movements; looking over his shoulder-movements indicative of someone trying to see if he is being observed-open a closed window and slip inside.
She drove on, pulled into the first driveway and called the local detachment to report her observations.
Twenty minutes later a member called to thank her for reporting her observations. The member confirmed that the address was a known drug location but that the observed person was entering his own apartment through the window.
RCW encourages readers to do likewise when they observe questionable behaviour. The woman mentioned could have made an assumption and driven on. But she didn’t.
Had the members found drug paraphenalia or evidence of a drug operation, they would have arrested those involved because the Mounties had just cause for entry.
Vancouver Police busted an identity theft ring last February that was part of an operation to steal identities and gain access to bank accounts. The operation was run out of the basement of a Surrey home where stolen mail and identification was processed. The operation used counterfeiting equipment to create new identification and fraudulent credit cards based on stolen documents. The counterfeit documents and cards were then re-sold. During the raid, police seized: credit-card making equipment, 2000 pieces of stolen mail from 20 communities, 500 credit cards, 12 passports, 75 medical cards, hundreds of tax returns, CDs with personal data, and Canada Post uniforms.
Timothy Bradley Moisan, 35, has spent the last six months in jail waiting for his trial for his participation in the crime. At his recent trial he received a sentence of one year. The judge gave him double credit for the six months and Moisan is now free. He could have faced 14 years.
The message the justice system is sending to criminals is obvious. Six months in jail for the thousands of scamed dollars is a gift and crime pays.
Recently a mom was greeted with her hysterical daughter running into the house claiming a man tried to grab her at the park. Mom knew the man as he had attempted similar behavior with other children and had reported his behavior to police without success. Fed up, Mom headed to the park with a pipe and got in an altercation with the suspect. Mom received severe stab wounds. She’s recouperating in the hospital and the attacker is in jail.
This behaviour is citizen frustration with our justice system.
RCW encourages readers to write the following officials and express your opinion about Moisan’s sentence: Chief Judge of the Provincial Court, Hugh Stansfield-snail only-at PO BOX 9044 Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC V8V 1X4 and Attorney General Wally Oppal at wally.oppal.mla@leg.bc.ca or snail at PO BOX 9044 Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC V8V 1X4.
Remember, if you do nothing, you can expect nothing.
We’ve added a new link to our web site’s main page. Go to Links and B.C. Crime Prevention Library. You’ll be offered choices: Ask the Librarian, Resource Guides, Reviews, Search the Catalogue, Journals and New Items. B.C. Rural Crime Watch is a member, so by being a RCW member you are too.
Please remember to check www.ruralcrimewatch.com and the link to Crooktube for information regarding recent crimes and the RCMP and Vancouver Police Most Wanted lists. You may recognize the crooks and be able to call 911 for their apprehension.

Rural Crime Watch Column for September 3, 2008

“Shut off the ignition and place both hands out the window!”
Pretty clear instructions wouldn’t you say?
The recipient of these demands was a person who had been stopped by the RCMP, for whatever, and the members demanded the driver comply with their demands.
Now put yourself in that position. You’re the driver. What would you do?
Jump out of the vehicle and demand your rights? Jump out of the vehicle and shout, “@#$%?” Jump out of the vehicle, strut to the PC (Police car) asking for an explanation? Take off?
We hope not, because chances are you’d be in for a rude awakening.
According to testimony in the 100 Mile House trial of a Mountie charged with assault, variations of the above were the actions of the Tasered suspect.
A RCW member emailed that she was driving on Highway 97 East of Kamloops when she was pulled over by a Mountie. The member activated his PA (public address) system and told her to step out of the vehicle and place her hands on the vehicle’s roof. She did, and was immediately handcuffed and placed in the member’s vehicle. Checking her ID, the member discovered she was a dead ringer for a woman seen fleeing from a local bank robbery. She was released. She wasn’t traumatized, held no grudge and didn’t sue the RCMP for false arrest.
Had she resisted arrest she might have been Tasered. Fortunately she had the presence of mind-no booze, no drugs-not to, and allowed the member to do her job.
Another reader wrote saying he was coming out of a rural business and was met by two Mounties. They asked if he was “John Smith”. A little confused at the request, “John” said, “Yes, what can I do for you?”
One member told him, “Turn around, face the wall, place your hands behind you. You’re under arrest.”
The suspect’s questions regarding his arrest were met with silence. At the detachment he was fingerprinted and charged with spousal abuse. Two days in jail and his ex-spouse recanted, telling Mounties she was angry at her ex-husband and lied to police. This RCW member was smart enough not to resist, allowed himself to be arrested and the members to do their job. This citizen wasn’t drunk or under the influence of drugs, and wasn’t verbally abusive to the members. He too wasn’t Tasered.
A rural bank called 911 to report a customer carrying a concealed firearm. Members surrounded the bank, waited for the suspect to exit and took him down hard, cuffed him and put him in a PC. The suspect didn’t resist. Actually he had little opportunity to. He was soon released for a later court date, charge with stupidity. He was carrying a pellet pistol in a shoulder holster.
A visiting American was walking back to his truck from the lake which he was visiting in rural B.C. when he was surprised by 6 Mounties who took him to the ground and handcuffed him. He was placed in a PC and taken 90 minutes back to the detachment. Fingerprints sent to the FBI showed he wasn’t the escaped Louisiana man wanted on a North America wide warrant. The visitor was flabbergasted at the physical similarities between himself and the escapee, was never abusive to members etc. and in fact was complimentary to the RCMP on the efficiency of their take down and to the RCW member who called in the spotting.
The escapee was later captured my two New Brunswick Mounties.
Finally, members stopped a woman in an SUV for erratic driving. She smelled of alcohol. The member asked her to step out of the vehicle. She refused. Twice. The member advised her that if she did not exit her vehicle she would be Tasered. She refused. She was Tasered.
These examples are the exception to normal living for law-abiding citizens. But what about the drunk drivers and drug users who commit crimes under the influence where their brains are misfiring and unable to make rational decisions? The norm is, LEOs (law enforcement officers) don’t Taser the innocent.
RCW encourages readers to share their views at www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column For August 20, 2008

Robbery Prevention Works! Recently the RCMP were called to a gas station robbery. The RCMP provided RCW with the following robbery details:
“ Robbery prevention practices were in use and the suspect was unable to complete the robbery and no one was harmed. The male suspect approached the front doors of the gas station and tried to open the doors. As a robbery prevention measure the doors are locked at night and the male was directed to the security box to speak to the store clerk. The male suspect then produced a knife and demanded money. The security box was slammed closed by the store clerk and the male suspect fled on foot. Officers in the area set up a containment perimeter. A male suspect was arrested without incident and charge with Attempted Robbery”.
For Robbery Prevention Practices program details, visit your local detachment.
RCW has had a varied response to Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu’s 30 Strikes You’re Out. Some readers felt the federal government’s 3 Strikes was too harsh while noone responded in favour of Chu’s recommendation.
British Columbia LEO’s are frustated by what RCW feels is our justice system’s leniency toward criminals. Supt. John Robin, officer in charge of the B.C. Integrated Gang Task Force, was speaking to 500 investigators recently and emphasized the number of extremely violent gang members entering B.C.
Jose Quinteros of the feared Maras Salvatrucha 13 gang of Guatamala, is living in Surrey, despite telling Canadian officials at the border that he had killed at least four people.
Robin reported that there are 129 crime groups in B.C. RCW advises readers that Ruralists are not immune to gang infiltration given the level of marijuana grow ops and pots extremely high product value.
If you’re travelling to Vancouver and particularly if you’re overnighting, please go to http://vancouver.ca/police/CrimeMaps/stauto.pdf to peruse a lower mainland map highlighting vehicle theft hot spots.
One RCW member chose her room on Broadway in Vancouver based on her ability to see her vehicle in the parking lot. Her car is equipped with an alarm so she felt with her hotel window open and the alarm functioning, any B&E attempt would result in her awakening and calling 911.
If you’re a criminal travelling to Vancouver you might want to reconsider employing your “skills” there because there’s a new recruit in Surrey who’s hit the ground running with unprecendented apprehension succcesses.
Merely days after graduating from training, the “Constable” was ordered by his training officer to apprehend a suspect fleeing from a stolen vehicle. Armed with a screwdriver, the suspect tried to jump from the car, only to feel the clamp of a jaw on his leg. The suspect fell and the “Constable” lost the leg grip, so he grabbed the next closest thing; he bit into the suspect’s scalp. In seconds, he had nearly peeled the man's scalp back. The suspect survived after getting 26 staples and 50 stitches.
The new recruit was delighted with his accomplishment; he had apprehended his first criminal, sunk his teeth and held on, had no paperwork to keep him at the detachment for hours, didn’t have to explain his apprehension tactics to superiors, had other members giving him, “Atta boys”, and was rewarded with a dog biscuit.
We’ve added two links to our web site’s main page: the RCMP’s Cold Case Listings and the Vancouver Police Department’s Most Wanted. Please check these links frequently as these bad guys are mobile.
A number of Deka Lake summer residents indicated they’ve never heard of Rural Crime Watch, so please share RCW with your friends and neighbours, particularly summer residents and encourage all to go to www.ruralcrimewatch.com for crime prevention tips.

Rural Crime Watch Column For August 20, 2008

Robbery Prevention Works! Recently the RCMP were called to a gas station robbery. The RCMP provided RCW with the following robbery details:
  
“ Robbery prevention practices were in use and the suspect was unable to complete the robbery and no one was harmed. The male suspect approached the front doors of the gas station and tried to open the doors. As a robbery prevention measure the doors are locked at night and the male was directed to the security box to speak to the store clerk. The male suspect then produced a knife and demanded money. The security box was slammed closed by the store clerk and the male suspect fled on foot. Officers in the area set up a containment perimeter. A male suspect was arrested without incident and charge with Attempted Robbery”.
  
For Robbery Prevention Practices program details, visit your local detachment.
  
RCW has had a varied response to Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu’s 30 Strikes You’re Out. Some readers felt the federal government’s 3 Strikes was too harsh while noone responded in favour of Chu’s recommendation.
  
British Columbia LEO’s are frustated by what RCW feels is our justice system’s leniency toward criminals. Supt. John Robin, officer in charge of the B.C. Integrated Gang Task Force, was speaking to 500 investigators recently and emphasized the number of extremely violent gang members entering B.C.
  
Jose Quinteros of the feared Maras Salvatrucha 13 gang of Guatamala, is living in Surrey, despite telling Canadian officials at the border that he had killed at least four people.
  
Robin reported that there are 129 crime groups in B.C. RCW advises readers that Ruralists are not immune to gang infiltration given the level of marijuana grow ops and pots extremely high product value.
  
If you’re travelling to Vancouver and particularly if you’re overnighting, please go to http://vancouver.ca/police/CrimeMaps/stauto.pdf to peruse a lower mainland map highlighting vehicle theft hot spots.
  
One RCW member chose her room on Broadway in Vancouver based on her ability to see her vehicle in the parking lot. Her car is equipped with an alarm so she felt with her hotel window open and the alarm functioning, any B&E attempt would result in her awakening and calling 911.
  
If you’re a criminal travelling to Vancouver you might want to reconsider employing your “skills” there because there’s a new recruit in Surrey who’s hit the ground running with unprecendented apprehension succcesses.
  
Merely days after graduating from training, the “Constable” was ordered by his training officer to apprehend a suspect fleeing from a stolen vehicle. Armed with a screwdriver, the suspect tried to jump from the car, only to feel the clamp of a jaw on his leg. The suspect fell and the “Constable” lost the leg grip, so he grabbed the next closest thing; he bit into the suspect’s scalp. In seconds, he had nearly peeled the man's scalp back. The suspect survived after getting 26 staples and 50 stitches.
  
The new recruit was delighted with his accomplishment; he had apprehended his first criminal, sunk his teeth and held on, had no paperwork to keep him at the detachment for hours, didn’t have to explain his apprehension tactics to superiors, had other members giving him, “Atta boys”, and was rewarded with a dog biscuit.
  

We’ve added two links to our web site’s main page: the RCMP’s Cold Case Listings and the Vancouver Police Department’s Most Wanted. Please check these links frequently as these bad guys are mobile.
  
A number of Deka Lake summer residents indicated they’ve never heard of Rural Crime Watch, so please share RCW with your friends and neighbours, particularly summer residents and encourage all to go to www.ruralcrimewatch.com for crime prevention tips.
  

Rural Crime Watch Column for August 6, 2008

  Psychologists tell us that a criminal’s educational level is directly related to the dollar amount stolen or embezzled. Presumably this means it requires an advanced education to steal from corporations and governments.
  So it’s not surprising that there is a new book out, “Crimes of Dummies.” The following are some criminal activities and their perpetrators about whom the book was written.
  Two men entered a bar flashing knives demanding money. One thief ended up in the hospital in serious condition while the other was tossed out in the parking lot hog-tied with chains and his head duck tapped. It was a Biker Bar.
  When the RCMP arrested a man suspected of robbing four banks they advised him of his right to counsel then told him he was being charged with four counts of bank robbery. The suspect said, “I never robbed four, just three.”
  Last winter a robber got overheated while browsing a convenience store waiting to rob it. He took off his jacket, robbed the store and fled leaving behind his jacket. Mounties found his income tax slip from the job from which he was recently fired and were waiting for him at his home. The robber asked, “How did you guys find me so fast?”
  A bank robber wrote his stick-up note on the back of a deposit slip and handed it to the teller. The teller read it and said, “I’m sorry sir, this is written on the bank across the street. You’ll have to take your note to them.” As she shared this tidbit of misinformation she activated her silent RCMP alarm. As the guy was crossing the street to the other bank, LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers) swooped in. Dumb and Dumber asked, “How did you know I was going to rob a bank?”
  A traffic services member stopped a speeding vehicle for going 130 km/hr. As the Mountie approached the vehicle he noticed the female driver was naked. Trying to avoid staring and maintaining his professionalism, the member asked the woman why she was speeding. She replied, “Because I’m late for work.” The member replied, “But Mam, you’re naked.” “Of course I’m naked; I just told you I’m late for work.” The Mountie was laughing too hard to write the ticket.
  Some police agencies have a ride along program for potential officers to get a job overview. One candidate was a Dumb and Dumber as he was wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant and was recognized by a LEO. The officer explained to DD that before going on the ride along he was going to experience the arrest and processing of a criminal. The DD was handcuffed, thinking this was really cool. He was fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a cell. As the officer walked away, DD said, “This was very cool, what now?” The officer showed him his wanted poster.
  A Vancouver male martial artist posed as a bag lady, wandering the downtown core late at night. As “Her” attackers struck, they themselves were attacked and left unconscious. After a few nights, the bag lady wandered unmolested. The martial artist wasn’t a female impersonator and other than the DD’s, no one mistook him for female.
  Dumb and Dumber? You be the judge. 100 Mile House recently experienced a robbery at an insurance firm. A lone masked bandit entered the office, jumped over the counter, emptied the cash drawer, jumped back over the counter and ran out and down an alley.
  RCW encourages all business to develop a CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) program. Had a citizen not spotted the 100 Mile thief, a camera would have recorded his voice, height, weight, build and mannerisms. Please visit our web site at www.ruralcrimewatch.com for cost and installation details.
  

Rural Crime Wath Column for July 30, 2008

“Make My Day.” That’s the classic Dirty Harry comment made to the bad guys in one of Clint Eastwood’s epic movies. Dirty Harry enters a coffee shop for his routine double double. He’s floating through mind set White, totally oblivious to his surroundings-not a good cop trait-takes his coffee and leaves. He takes a sip. Spits it out. Sugar. He never has sugar. He figures something’s amiss in the coffee shop.
The next scene shows Harry coming in the business’ back door to confront three gunmen holding customers and staff hostage. Harry says, “The three of us aren’t going to let you leave here alive.”
The gunman shouts, “What three, it’s only you there you fool.”
Harry says, “No, the three of us, Smith, Wesson and me.” Eastwood pulls his .44 Magnum and the
shooting starts.
We know some readers wished our justice system was delivered Dirty Harry style much like the businessperson who wired his window bars with 110 volts to foil thieves. RCW encourages you to not loose confidence in our law enforcement’s apprehension techniques and successes.
Staff Sgt. Tim Shields was media liaison for the Surrey detachment then an Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) member where he developed the award-winning Stolen Lives video. Currently he’s “E” Division’s new strategic communications person who vows to, “Be transparent and open and more forthcoming with information to the media."
Shields is our sane Dirty Harry. Previously as an Okanogan detachment commander he apprehended two bank robbers who were hiding in a nearby business. Shields responded to the bank’s 911 call. He was checking the surrounding businesses and walked into a bakery. There were two guys in the back who were clearly uncomfortable with his presence. He made some enquires and noticed the elder of the two was nervous. He faded away and called the detachment for back-up. The cavalry arrived and the bad guys were arrested-not blasted away with a Dirty Harry style .44 Magnum. One of those cuffed had his pockets stuffed with bills while the other guy had a note which read,” Give me all your money. I've got a gun.”
High Fives to Shields and his Okanogan colleagues. We wish him equal success as he trades his Smith and Wesson for pen and microphone to wrestle the media.
Theft of a vehicle while the driver is in it? That’s right, right here in rural British Columbia. Recently a patron was waiting in his car at a drive-in restaurant when his vehicle door was yanked open, the driver attacked and ejected from the car. RCW encourages readers to keep your vehicle doors locked at all times. If a passenger gets out and you’re waiting for him, lock his side of the vehicle.
Are B.C. Rualites getting equal police coverage as their urbanite cousins? RCW thinks so. Recently in a rural community, a Subway was robbed at knifepoint; the suspect hit the bush, obviously thinking he was clear. Not so. Enter the Mounties, Dog Team and Air One. Members surrounded the large bush area, the dogs headed in and Air One hovered over a heat source. No, the heat source wasn’t the meatball sub. The thief was caught, cuffed and hauled to jail in record time. Yup, in Rural B.C.
Remember Ruralites, it was a small town Subway! Crime is here. We don’t have to be paranoid just proactive. Join Rural Crime Watch. Contact us with questions and comments through www.ruralcrimewatch.com

Rural Crime Watch Column for July 16, 2008

  

An electronic service technician was just leaving his parked vehicle heading into a business when he spotted a male assaulting a female. The citizen ran to assist the woman and subdued the attacker only to have the battered and beaten woman jump him from behind yelling, “Let my husband go!”
Good intentions by the Good Samaritan but very, very dangerous. Similar incidents abound with the Clark Kents being severely injured by knive or gunshot wounds. Remember, call 911 and let the pros do their job.
How many readers hitchhiked to school 30+ years ago? Many of us did. We obtained rides from neighbours, adult friends etc. and nobody thought anything of it. Different times, different transportation strategies. Remember Clifford Olson? He was caught on Vancouver Island with his last teen victim held captive in Olson’s van.
RCW members have often observed teens hitchhiking throughout rural B.C. Some teens are given rides and express no concern for their personal safety. The bone chilling reality of today’s criminal element should be sufficient to warn against giving or receiving a ride. Get one from a friend or stay home or plan your transportation early.
And for those drivers who feel guilty not stopping for a hitchhiker, remember the number of assualts by the hitchhikers.
A convicted killer is scheduled for release this November if his parole bid is successful.
If released, 50-year-old David Shearing who now goes by Ennis, will have served just over four years each for the deaths of Bob and Jackie Johnson, their two daughters, Janet, 13, and Karen, 11, of Kelowna and Jackie’s parents, George and Edith Bentley, of Port Coquitlam, B.C.
The discovery of the family’s burned station wagon, charred corpses inside, caused panic in the communities around Wells Gray park in the fall of 1982, after it was located a few weeks after the six campers mysteriously vanished.
A petition is circulating, currently with 5,000 signatures, asking Canada’s parole board to keep Shearing jailed. You can add your name to an online version at www.petitiononline.com/johnbent/petition.html
30 is the magic number in Vancouver. Vancouver Police Chief Jim is asking the judicial system to get tough on chronic offenders who have 30 or more convictions.
Three of B.C.’s “super-chronics”have 406 criminal convictions between them, mostly thefts to feed their addictions. Chu’s crime analysis found that the more crimes committed, the lower the sentences. He sites one super-chronic whose $250,000.00 yearly crack habit requires theft of 1.2 million in property.
Think about it. The federal government is working on 3 Strike legislation while the Vancouver Sun’s Ian Mulgrew, is critizizing Chu’s proposal as being too harsh, with the comment, “Take a Valium chief”.
Which agency do you want to reach the legislative finish line first? Let us know your views. Visit our web site at www.ruralcrimewatch.com. Go to Bulletins for Mulgrew’s complete comments.

Rural Crime Watch Column for July 2, 2008

He parked his late model pick-up outside a large grocery store next to a fast food drive-thru and shopped for 20 minutes. He returned to find thieves had broken into his truck by accessing the driver’s side key entry. The vehicle wasn’t stolen and minimum damage was done while they rummaged around.
  The Point? None of the parking lot citizens or fast food customers called police. And it had to be obvious to all that a crime was in progress.
  What would you have done? Let’s hope you’d be a responsible citizen and call 911. In all rural communities police response time is in moments, not minutes. You’d be observant, getting a solid description of the offenders and if they escaped prior to police arriving, you’d note their direction.
  You wouldn’t interfere or peruse the fleeing felons. The RCMP is superb at catching the bad guys, as we’ve seen over and over again. Recall we wrote of the orchestrated capture last summer by the 100 Mile House Mounties? Don’t put yourself in harms way, let the pros do their job, and then give the Mounties a standing ovation.
  An electronic technician service person was just leaving his parked vehicle heading into a business when he spotted a male assaulting a female. The citizen ran to assist the woman and subdued the attacker only to have the battered and beaten woman jump him from behind yelling, “Let my husband go!”
  Good intentions but very, very dangerous. Similar incidents abound with the Clark Kents being severely injured by knives. Again, call 911 and let the pros do their job.
  Robbery Prevention Works! On Wednesday June 18th at 1:00 a.m. the RCMP were called to a gas station robbery. The RCMP provided RCW with the following robbery details: “ Robbery prevention practices were in use and the suspect was unable to complete the robbery and no one was harmed. The male suspect approached the front doors of the gas station and tried to open the doors. As a robbery prevention measure the doors are locked at night and the male was directed to the security box to speak to the store clerk. The male suspect then produced a knife and demanded money. The security box was slammed closed by the store clerk and the male suspect fled on foot. Nothing was taken from the store and no one was harmed thanks to the robbery prevention practices being utilized. A detailed description was obtained and provided to officers in the area who had already set up a containment perimeter in the area. A male suspect matching the description provided was located by police and arrested without incident. The 18 year old male suspect, was held in custody and will appear in Provincial Court to face charges of Attempted Robbery”.
  For Robbery Prevention Practices program details, visit your local detachment.
  30 is the magic number in Vancouver. Vancouver Police Chief Jim is asking the judicial system to get tough on chronic offenders who have 30 or more convictions.
  Think about it. The federal government is working on 3 Strike legislation. Which agency do you want to reach the legislative finish line first? More on this next column.
  

RCW Column for June 18, 2008

Rural Crime Watch Column for June 18, 2008


MickeyD is not immune from robbery.
Saanichton MickeyD’s was robbed at 10:30 PM on May 27 by a suspect who produced a note indicating he had a gun. He fled with an undisclosed amount of money only to have the police dog on his trail within minutes. Not only did “Jacko” take a bit out of crime, literally, but the entire incident was recorded and on Crooktube.com within minutes.
RCW encourages all business to install CCTV’s (Closed Circuit Television) and upload all incidents to Crooktube.com. For information on CCTV costs etc. go to www.ruralcrimewatch.com and click on Successes.
Let’s inundate the court system with captured thieves and send a message, “If you do crime in B.C. you will get caught and do time”.
RCW encourages readers to be vigilant in spotting neighbourhood irregularities that might indicate either a grow op or meth lab. Both criminal activities are a blight on our society and pose a threat to public safety. The RCMP advises readers of these dangers with grow ops:

Fire hazards - exposed live wires and high-intensity light bulbs. The extra exhaust fans used in grow ops can cause a house to go up in flames very quickly endangering surrounding homes.
Structural damage to homes - Homes may be altered for the purposes of growing marijuana -structural walls may be removed with the possible consequence of the house collapsing. High levels of humidity lead to condensation build-up causing the growth of unhealthy mold and fungus.

Electrocutions - Electrical system rewiring by the operators poses a severe threat to those working on it, as well as to residents and emergency responders.

Environmental damage - hazardous chemicals like fungicides and pesticides are disposed of down the household drains into our water systems.

Power outages - Overloading the electrical system can cause transformers to blow resulting in power outages in entire neighbourhoods and costly replacements.

Higher Costs to Utilities - Because indoor grow ops require massive amounts of electricity which can lead to detection, growers usually steal the power. The rising cost of this stolen electricity which adds up to millions of dollars in B.C. each year, is borne by BC Hydro.

Threat to your safety- Grow op producers are criminals with a considerable financial investment and a huge financial payoff which they will protect with violence to you and law enforcement.
Meth Labs contain their own neighbourhood dangers and threats.
Chemicals and equipment used to “cook” meth in illegal makeshift labs create an immediate danger of explosion and fire. The process also leaves behind waste that contaminates the site – often a house, apartment or other dwelling – and poses a threat both to the environment and the health of future occupants.
Meth Lab Equipment consisted of commercially purchased specialty items you would associate with a science class or a chemistry lab. These labs are often referred to as “Super Labs” and are capable of producing many pounds of Methamphetamine during one cooking process. Smaller labs, called “Tweaker Labs” produce only a few grams of Methamphetamine at a time and are often operated by persons Meth addicts. “Tweaker Lab” equipment can be purchased from any retail store and consists of Mason jars, glassware, plastic coolers, and gas cans. These items can be slightly modified to process the drug using the chemicals and heating on a stove microwave oven.
Go to our web site and click on Bulletins for information on how to spot a grow op or meth lab in your neighbourhood. If you suspect an operation, call your local detachment or 911.
RCW encourages readers to “Take a Bite out of Crime” and become active in your community to eradicate these neighbourhood scourges.

RCW Column for June 4, 2008

Crooktube.com. Have you checked it out? Video feed from a recent vehicle theft behind a mall was posted on the “Take a bit out of crime” web site with remarkable results. Pretty hard to deny guilt when your face is plastered across the internet breaking into a vehicle.
  It’s the first part of June. Your kids will be out of school soon. What then?
  B.C. statistics show that many unsupervised children get into trouble during the summer months. Will your kids? If they’re young enough to require supervising and that’s the plan, then your deed is done. But what about the junior and senior high kids with nothing to do? A possible answer? Work.
  There are scores of jobs available to teens in rural B.C. Have your child enquire with your local employment services or call 800-663-6881 Ext. 226 for job information in your area. In the South Cariboo contact the 100 Mile House Community Employment Service at www3.telus.net/ces.and click on Job Listings. If your child is lacking job finding skills have her/him check with the school’s counsellors for tips, appropriate interview attire and techniques. One high school student told his counsellor that he’d been trying for days to get a job, walking around to every business in town, only to be rejected. The student was discouraged. On his final stop for the afternoon, a businessman told him to get a haircut and he’d hire him. He did and he did.
  A RCW member had his grandson for a summer month. The lad figured he’d play video games and watch the telly like at home. Not! The 14 year old learned to like associating with the men haying.
  Volunteering is another avenue. Offering ones services to the community is an excellent resume booster as well as a moral delight. They can consider volunteering for a business, “I’ll work for nothing for a week to prove I can be an asset to your business.”
  Are you planning on being away from home this summer? Even overnight? Then RCW encourages you to be proactive to protect your home and property. As a member you already have yellow RCW signs posted around your property notifying would be thieves that you have taken measures to protect your property.
  If you normally park a vehicle in your driveway, then have one there when you’re away. Get in the habit of keeping your driveway gate closed, always. Thieves can’t use its position as a monitor of your residency. Make sure your answering machine is functioning and retrieve messages remotely. Thieves can call your home while standing at your door listening. If a machine doesn’t pick up and no one answers the phone, you’ve sent them a message.
  Make sure your kids don’t share your plans to be away with their friends. Sad but true. That information will be out and about with a loud, “Hooray” from thieves.
  Ensure your ATVs, snow machines, chainsaws etc. are locked and out of sight. Have a neighbour check your property frequently and consider installing an alarm system. With a neighbour on the call out list, they can be at your place within minutes fouling any break-in attempts. RCW’s interviews with incarcerated thieves brought enlightenment-even though the majority of B&Ers aren’t the brightest light on the string, they aren’t stupid. Doped up maybe, but not stupid. The warning sticker on your window indicting an alarm system is present will send them to another house where the chances of apprehension aren’t as great.
  Please visit www.ruralcrimewatch.com for additional home safety tips, law enforcement bulletins and column feedback.
  

RCW Column for May 28, 2008

  Canada’s Supreme Court ruled recently that it is the responsibility of the Crown to prove a teen convicted of a serious crime should to be sentenced as an adult. Previously it was the responsibility or the youth to prove they should not.
  The court said, “Young offenders should be presumed less morally culpable for their crimes than adults. The reverse onus is a breach of justice and of young offenders’ Charter rights.”
  Statistics Canada reports that youth homicides in Canada are at their highest point ever in 2006.
  There continue to be numerous Erumours circulating B.C. which are causing reader concern.
  One such E-Rumor states that plastic water bottles left in a vehicle warmed by the sun should be discarded since consuming the water will lead to breast cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society lists this E-Rumour as a Cancer Myth. “Dioxins are a group of highly toxic substances that are known to cause cancer. They can be produced naturally, or during certain manufacturing processes that use chlorine-containing substances. Most of the e-mail hoaxes say that the disposable plastic water bottles leach DEHA, but incorrectly identify it as diethylhydroxylamine, another substance sometimes used in plastics. Neither substance is believed to cause cancer nor is there evidence that plastic water bottles contain dioxins.”
  We previously wrote regarding children sniffing various products. Glue, Pam, Gasoline et al. can all be used to inflict a “High” and inhaling these can cause heart failure even in young teenagers that have no obvious health problems. Recently a 14 year old died of heart failure after sniffing airplane glue. The list is endless and parents need to educate their children as to the dangers of using any product not naturally intended for their bodies.
  RCW has been advised by a major Vancouver auto dealership and verified by RBC Security staff, that a major ID Theft attempt is being perpetrated throughout Alberta and British Columbia resulting in unsuspecting citizens giving security information over the phone.
   Crooks are calling homes identifying themselves as Visa or MasterCard Security personnel. They provide convincing information as to the validity of their role.
   They ask a variety of questions leading you to believe they are from Visa or MasterCard and conclude the ID theft by asking you for your three digit security number at the back of your card.
  DO NOT GIVE THIS NUMBER OUT!!!!!!!!
   Call your local police or detachment immediately.
   A good defense against this type of identity theft attempt is to use your Caller ID. If you don’t recognize the phone number, if it shows, “Blocked” or “Private”, don’t answer the phone, let your machine take the call. Chances are if it’s a unathorized call, they won’t leave a message. If it is someone you wanted to speak with, just call them back.
  Hoodies are a favourite criminal attire. Do you think businesses should reject customers wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood over her/his head while in a store?
  There is a new citizen operated web site which is taking a bite out of crime. Stores, malls and other businesses are uploading their CCTV (closed circuit television) crime scenes to crooktube.com where we all can see what, when, where and who, committed the crime and report that person’s whereabouts to police.
  What do you think? Contact us through our web site, www.ruralcrimewatch.com
  

RCW Column for May 21, 2008

Canada’s Supreme Court ruled recently that it is the responsibility of the Crown to prove a teen convicted of a serious crime should to be sentenced as an adult. Previously it was the responsibility or the youth to prove they should not.
The court said, “Young offenders should be presumed less morally culpable for their crimes than adults. The reverse onus is a breach of justice and of young offenders’ Charter rights.”
Statistics Canada reports that youth homicides in Canada are at their highest point ever in 2006.
There continue to be numerous Erumours circulating B.C. which are causing reader concern.
One such E-Rumor states that plastic water bottles left in a vehicle warmed by the sun should be discarded since consuming the water will lead to breast cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society lists this E-Rumour as a Cancer Myth. “Dioxins are a group of highly toxic substances that are known to cause cancer. They can be produced naturally, or during certain manufacturing processes that use chlorine-containing substances. Most of the e-mail hoaxes say that the disposable plastic water bottles leach DEHA, but incorrectly identify it as diethylhydroxylamine, another substance sometimes used in plastics. Neither substance is believed to cause cancer nor is there evidence that plastic water bottles contain dioxins.”
We previously wrote regarding children sniffing various products. Glue, Pam, Gasoline et al. can all be used to inflict a “High” and inhaling these can cause heart failure even in young teenagers that have no obvious health problems. Recently a 14 year old died of heart failure after sniffing airplane glue. The list is endless and parents need to educate their children as to the dangers of using any product not naturally intended for their bodies.
RCW has been advised by a major Vancouver auto dealership and verified by RBC Security staff, that a major ID Theft attempt is being perpetrated throughout Alberta and British Columbia resulting in unsuspecting citizens giving security information over the phone.
Crooks are calling homes identifying themselves as Visa or MasterCard Security personnel. They provide convincing information as to the validity of their role.
They ask a variety of questions leading you to believe they are from Visa or MasterCard and conclude the ID theft by asking you for your three digit security number at the back of your card.
DO NOT GIVE THIS NUMBER OUT!!!!!!!!
Call your local police or detachment immediately.
A good defense against this type of identity theft attempt is to use your Caller ID. If you don’t recognize the phone number, if it shows, “Blocked” or “Private”, don’t answer the phone, let your machine take the call. Chances are if it’s a unathorized call, they won’t leave a message. If it is someone you wanted to speak with, just call them back.
Hoodies are a favourite criminal attire. Do you think businesses should reject customers wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood over her/his head while in a store?
There is a new citizen operated web site which is taking a bite out of crime. Stores, malls and other businesses are uploading their CCTV (closed circuit television) crime scenes to crooktube.com where we all can see what, when, where and who, committed the crime and report that person’s whereabouts to police.
What do you think? Contact us through our web site, www.ruralcrimewatch.com

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