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Crimes stats show improvement for Drayton Valley RCMP

Nov. 9, 2023, Drayton Valley, Alta. – The Drayton Valley RCMP Detachment kept themselves busy in September confiscating drugs and catching thieves red-handed.

“The guys did a lot of good work in September,” says Staff Sergeant Troy Raddatz. He says the detachment had some tough times several years ago when they had nine members with under a year’s service. Now, he believes the effort is coming to fruition.

“I can’t take any credit for that,” he says. “I just happened to luck into it when I took over this detachment.”

At the Nov. 1 Town Council Meeting, Raddatz gave his monthly report for September. From January to September 2023, persons crimes are down 23.3 percent, property crime is down 18.5 percent, and criminal code crimes are down 18.8 percent.

Compared to the same period last year, there have been 49 fewer persons crimes, 108 fewer property crimes, and 187 fewer criminal code offences.

Raddatz also took the opportunity to walk council through a few of their successful files from September.

On Sep. 16, a member made a traffic stop after recognizing a known vehicle. A known male and female were outside of the vehicle at the time. The officer knew the male did not have a license and that the female was in breach of a previous Release Order. Both were arrested.

“An officer did a traffic stop and recognized a well-known drug dealer,” says Raddatz in an interview with the Free Press.

The stop and the resulting investigation led the officer to enter into a drug investigation.

“Two subjects were both arrested and charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and both subjects were remanded,” says Raddatz.

On Sep. 20, the detachment received a noise complaint at an apartment building. When the members responded they saw evidence that caused them to enter into a drug investigation.

Officers were able to seize 14 grams of fentanyl, amongst other drugs, and paraphernalia.

Raddatz says depending on the grade of the drug and the purity, fentanyl can be very dangerous.

He says this particular complaint shows that officers are often walking into unknown dangerous situations when they take a call-out. Raddatz says they try to get as much information as they can so they are prepared, but sometimes the situation ends up being completely different.

“That uncertainty and not knowing is what poses significant risk to the members,” says Raddatz.

He says the opioid problem that has been seen more and more has changed the dynamic of policing. In the past, if officers saw white powder, they were confident it was cocaine and if they were careful it wasn’t a risk.

“Now if you run into carfentanil and you are unaware of it and you accidentally breathe that in, it will put a person into a real crisis,” says Raddatz.

He says the members always carry Narcan with them. If needed, Narcan will give RCMP enough time to get an overdosing individual to the hospital.

Raddatz says members of the General Investigation Section were conducting surveillance on two offenders who are very well known for their history of property crime.

The members had a strong belief that the offenders were headed out to enact a property crime, so they conducted a traffic stop. The stop resulted in charges for possession of break and enter tools for the subjects.

Raddatz says through the members’ experience and investigation, they were able to lay further charges and ensure there was no crime committed.

“They legitimately stopped a crime that was about to happen,” says Raddatz.

– Drayton Valley and District Free Press