Pubdate: Wed, 29 Dec 2010
Source: Airdrie Echo (CN AB)
Copyright: 2010 Osprey Media
Contact: http://www.airdrieecho.com/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx
Website: http://www.airdrieecho.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1558
Author: James Emery
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/RCMP
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Marijuana - Canada)

GROW-OPS, THEFT KEEP RCMP BUSY IN 2010

Record Number of Marijuana Busts Highlight Cops' Year; Alberta
Sheriffs Added to Area Highways Full Time

Marijuana grow-operations and a rash of thefts plagued Airdrie in
2010, but for local RCMP, the introduction of a new unit and the
implementation of additional resources to existing units helped combat
the problems.

Airdrie RCMP Acting Insp. Damon Poole said the creation of the Crime
Reduction Unit (CRU) this summer, along with a seconded front-line
constable in the plainclothes General Investigations Section (GIS),
helped police gain momentum on the fight against organized crime.

"Drugs and organized crimes has been a priority under our detachment
unit performance plan," Poole said. "It was identified as something we
wanted to target ... but it was difficult to target it with the
resources we had."

Police busted a million-dollar grow-op in January and most recently
removed close to $2 million worth of marijuana from local homes with
the help from general duty members and the special units.

"Given that we have the implementation of the CRU team, (and) the
secondment of a developmental plainclothes position, we have certainly
been able to focus on intelligence and action, and we've seen
results," Poole said.

In September, RCMP wrapped up Operation Klepto, which targeted
criminals using garage door openers stolen from cars to break into
homes.

Police also noticed a rash of stolen cars, as well as a number of
thefts from vehicles in the area, so they implemented targeted
enforcement in the areas and found success.

Operation Klepto resulted in five arrests after investigating 100
reported cases of thefts in the area.

On the traffic side of things, the RCMP's integrated traffic unit,
comprised of RCMP and Alberta Sheriff members, was such a success
during the pilot project that the deployment model was accepted
province-wide when the integrated program expanded this year.

Airdrie was one of four detachments in Alberta that participated in
the pilot project, which began in March 2009.

"Based on the members here and the success we had in Airdrie, the
pilot project determined Airdrie was one of the most successful ones,"
Poole said.

But with the addition of Sheriffs into an already cramped building,
the new RCMP detachment currently under construction in the city's
northeast can't come soon enough.

The new building will host not only the RCMP and support staff, but
also the special units, Sheriffs and potentially other RCMP units from
Calgary.

"We're excited about that and look forward to it," Poole said of the
new detachment. "The City of Airdrie is anticipating and hoping we'll
be in the new building by the fall of 2011."

The RCMP also continued to run special enforcement and
community-driven initiatives in 2010, including traffic safety
enforcement and school-based policing.

Airdrie has two RCMP constables who are imbedded with local schools as
Community Resource Officers.

Airdrie RCMP Const. Robert Frizzell has been in local schools since
the implementation of the project last year, while the Alberta
Association of School Resource Officers recently named Const. David
Henry, who arrived from St. Albert in July, Alberta's Youth Officer of
the Year for his work in that city's schools.

The RCMP also saw a reclassification of command structure in April and
will see Insp. Tony Hamori take over as top cop sometime in the New
Year, expected to be either in late winter or early spring.

"We're looking forward to Insp. Hamori coming here and taking over the
command out of Airdrie," Poole said. "(This) will certainly benefit
Airdrie in the future having a commissioned officer in charge of
Airdrie's detachment."

In terms of funding, RCMP will receive one new police officer in 2011
- -- far less than the five officers they originally requested from the
City of Airdrie.

Poole said the new officer position would be used to bolster the ranks
of the GIS unit.

"We want to continue enhancing our policing vision with our plain
clothes section (GIS) [and continue] targeting and focusing on major
crimes, organized crimes and drugs." Poole said.

RCMP also received funding for one additional municipal clerk position
for 2011.  
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake