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Two Hills RCMP respond to community feedback and concerns

Drinking and driving concerns, driving without a licence, and the RCMP's response to certain calls, were among the many topics addressed by Two Hills RCMP during a recent community engagement exercise.
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TWO HILLS - Earlier in the year, the Two Hills RCMP sent out a request for feedback from members of the community. That feedback was recently put together, with a few questions and concerns being answered by RCMP.

Sgt. Robert Daisley, detachment commander of the Two Hills RCMP, headed the project, which focused specifically on the Two Hills Detachment area.

"Feedback was received in a variety of forms and has been generalized to prevent anyone who did respond from being singled out or identified," according to Daisley.

One of the topics brought up was the relationship between RCMP and Mennonites who live in the Two Hills area. RCMP say they do not "favour" or "pick on" any groups of people. 

"We strive to treat everyone fairly, regardless of who they are, and no group of people or resident of this community is treated either more harshly or more leniently just because of who they are," according to a document, signed by Daisley.

There was another more specific concern expressed about people driving without a licences being a common occurrence.

"Based on our experience, that isn’t true," according to Daisley

Officers in the Two Hills area have "made it a priority to get out of the office and onto the roadways over the past two years, which has resulted in more visibility and many more encounters with drivers of all types. The safety of road users is a high priority, which has resulted in members completing more traffic stops and more opportunities to check for driver’s licences."

While there are a few people who choose to drive without a licence, the majority of people on the road are operating a vehicle with a valid driver's licence, say RCMP.

Another topic that was brought up was about people who are suspected to be drinking and driving.  

"Drinking and driving has always been an issue on our roadways," according to Daisley. Officers are committed to keeping people safe, and this includes locating impaired drivers. 

"We have caught too many people drinking and driving, although most of the time this isn’t publicized. We continue to encourage residents to immediately report impaired drivers to police by calling 911," says Daisley.

Legislation recently passed by the Government of Alberta decriminalizes some impaired driving offences.

"The hope is to free up court time for the most serious offences, while reducing the administrative burden on enforcement officers. This strategy seemed to have worked well in British Columbia and hopefully we will have similar success here in Alberta," explains Daisley.

The next topic addressed by RCMP focuses on break and enters, and a perceived lack of police response.

When responding to the notion that police don't show up to reports of break and enters, RCMP would like residents ti know that every file that is reported to the police is reviewed by the Detachment Commander before being concluded, and any file that isn’t investigated properly is sent back to the investigator to be followed up on before completed.

If a police didn’t show up at a call, there are several possible reasons why, according to Daisley.

One of those reasons could be that the complainant told police they were reporting for information purposes only. Sometimes people call to tell RCMP something happened, even though they know there is no evidence for police to pursue. RCMP say they appreciate this information since it helps target patrols.

Also, sometimes people need a police file number for insurance purposes but don't require police to attend the scene. 

Another reason could be that officers were at a higher-priority file.

"Just like in the emergency room at the hospital, we are constantly having to triage the files that we have."

Also, if a file is dated and there is no hope of recovering evidence at the scene, RCMP may not respond. 

"Sometimes crimes are reported weeks or months after they occur, and the time delay makes it very unlikely that evidence can be recovered," explain RCMP.

Another topic brought up was regarding the treatment of women by the RCMP. 

Daisley offered his thoughts on the topic, acknowledge there are still problems that exist, but things are getting better.

"Everyone in the Two Hills Detachment works hard every day to ensure that women are treated with respect and with dignity. When I began (almost 20 years ago), it was common to hear cadets talking about how women couldn’t be good police officers because they weren’t strong enough to fight," says Daisley. 

"I have had the privilege of serving alongside many excellent female police officers and those comments have mostly gone away as women have continued to demonstrate their ability both to fight when necessary, and to avoid creating situations where fighting is necessary. The Commissioner has committed to making the RCMP an institution which is supportive of women and we are proud to be part of that effort," he adds.

Alberta Health Services has the responsibility to respond to COVID-19 complaints. If AHS requires help from RCMP, that help is given, but concerns about COVID-19 regulations and measures should be directed to AHS, either online or by phone.

Daisley was also happy to hear feedback confirming the RCMP is doing a great job.

"As the Detachment Commander in Two Hills, I am fortunate to have an excellent team of officers and support staff here. I am very proud of this group. They come to work every day determined to put in their best effort and do everything that they can to serve our communities."


Janice Huser

About the Author: Janice Huser

Janice Huser has been with the St. Paul Journal since 2006. She is a graduate of the SAIT print media journalism program, is originally from St. Paul and has a passion for photography.
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