CheckStop blitz
Cochrane RCMP participated in the province-wide CheckStop Blitz on Dec. 2 to kick off National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day, a national RCMP initiative taking place during National Safe Driving Week.
Cst. Kary Moore said 600 vehicles were stopped at three locations around Cochrane. From those stops, there were two impaired drivers charged, one Alberta Zero Alcohol Tolerance (AZAT) suspension for a Graduated Drivers License (GDL) driver and five provincial liquor charges.
“The holiday season is right around the corner, so it’s important that we get out on the roads early this December to remind motorists of the dangers that come with alcohol or drug impaired driving,” says S/Sgt. Don Murray, district commander, Capital Region Integrated Traffic Unit.
Cochrane has seen its fair share of impaired drivers in the last year.
The town counted 121 reported incidents last year, which put Cochrane’s impaired driving rate (incidents per 100,000 population) at 573.27 – far above the Canadian average of 194.31.
This is according to a recent article by Maclean’s Magazine, which drew its data from Statistics Canada and Uniform Crime report to create a ranking of the nation’s “most dangerous places.” The magazine used Crime Severity Index - a count of all criminal incidents reported to and by police divided by the population of interest.
“Impaired driving is a leading cause of death and injury on Alberta roads, but we can’t tackle this issue alone,” says Superintendent Rick Gardner, Alberta Sheriffs. “Everyone has a part to play and that starts with planning ahead to have a designated driver or a safe ride when heading out to the festivities.”
Drivers suspected of being impaired are subject to road-side sobriety tests that may result in immediate licence suspensions and/or criminal charges.
Shooting death
Cochrane RCMP is investigating the death of a person in Elbow Valley after police responded to a complaint of a gunshot on Dec. 4 at approximately 6:30 p.m. Police responded to a complaint of a single gunshot in the area and located the body upon arrival. Police are not looking for any suspects and there is no concern for public safety. The investigation is ongoing.
Bank robbery
Cochrane RCMP is asking for public assistance to locate a suspect after a robbery in Bragg Creek on Friday afternoon.
On Dec. 1, between 3:20 and 3:30 p.m., a lone male entered the ATB Financial in Bragg Creek where he demanded money while brandishing a gun. The man then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The male has been described as wearing a mask, a blue jacket with a fur hood and blue pants. It is believed he may be related to a red Pontiac Grand Am that was seen in Bragg Creek around the same time.
The investigation is ongoing. The police are asking that any members of the public that may have witnessed this incident or has any further information to contact the Cochrane RCMP at 403-851-8000 or call your local police detachment. If you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), by internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by SMS.
Liquor store theft
On Nov. 18, at approximately 6 p.m. the Cochrane RCMP responded to a theft from a liquor store. Two females entered the store with large purses. While the females were walking around the store they were swearing and talking loudly, drawing the clerks’ attention to them.
When the females departed the store they set off the alarms. A witness observed a white Chrysler 300 departing a nearby parking lot at a fast rate of speed, and it’s believed this vehicle was involved.
