While Halloween is traditionally considered a night where evil spirits come out, it also has a tendency to bring out criminal elements as well.
However, it was a relatively quiet affair for the Cranbrook RCMP this past weekend, with 50 calls for service, according to S/Sgt Hector Lee.
“For me, being that it’s my first Halloween [in Cranbrook], I thought it was pretty tame,” he said. “I’m coming from the Lower Mainland where it sounds like there’s a war going on outside, as soon as darkness hits on Halloween, you hear firecrackers, fireworks and there’s smoke everywhere.”
However, while there wasn’t a lot of serious incidents, the RCMP were out on the streets answering calls both on the night of Halloween and the aftermath the next day.
Some of those responses on Saturday and Sunday included:
Oct 31: At around noon, RCMP responded to a two-vehicle collision at 11th St. South and 7th Avenue South. A vehicle ran the stop sign and struck another vehicle. There were minor injuries to two occupants in the vehicle that was hit, while the driver who ran the stop sign was charged for disobeying the stop sign.
Oct. 31: Also at around noon, RCMP had a report of identity theft, as someone had their ID utilized from an unknown person who was trying to secure a loan in Calgary. RCMP remind the public to secure their identification and be aware of who they’re giving their personal identification details and credit card information to.
Oct. 31: At around 2:30 p.m., a hit-and-run was reported in the Save-On-Foods parking lot. The suspect vehicle is an older white pickup truck of an undetermined make and model but no license plate was reported. An unoccupied vehicle was hit.
Oct. 31: RCMP responded to a mental health call, which resulted in an apprehension by police and the person was taken to the East Kootenay Regional Hospital.
Oct. 31: RCMP received a report of an alleged impaired driver who was swerving on the road. The vehicle was located, however, the driver was not impaired, but rather distracted by ogling Halloween decorations on houses. “It’s good that people call though,” said Lee. “We appreciate that.”
Over the course of the night, there were four arrests for public intoxication, as RCMP were either on patrol or on a call for service. One of those arrests came when a cruiser drove by a male, who attempted to kick the back of the officer’s vehicle.
“So guess what?” said Lee. “The police car stopped.”
Nov. 1: At roughly 1 a.m., there was a hit-and-run on Kootenay St. that hit a power pole and knocked the power out in downtown Cranbrook. At around the same time, there was a report of gunshots in the same area, however, the sound is being attributed to the transformer that blew.
“When a transformer blows, it actually sounds like a couple rapid gunfire shots,” said Lee.
The vehicle fled from the scene, however, the RCMP tracked it down, arrested a male for impaired driving and failing to remain at the scene and are recommending charges. According to B.C Hydro, roughly 1,948 customers were affected and power was restored 12 hours later.
Nov. 1st: Report of a single vehicle rollover just outside Ft. Steele on Highway 95 and Buckman Rd. Two occupants were in the vehicle, which went across the oncoming lane and off the road down a steep bank.
Nov: RCMP responded to call of a local man and women arguing at a local motel. Upon arrival, members detected a strong odour of marijuana coming from the room. The call, which was initially to investigate a disturbance, turned into a drug investigation that resulted in the seizure of an undisclosed but ‘substantial’ amount of marijuana and cash. One male was arrested and is facing charges of drug trafficking and for uttering death threats to an officer.
Nov: 1st: RCMP responded to a mental health call and a person was apprehended and taken to the East Kootenay Regional Hospital.
As compared to his past in Coquitlam, Lee said it was a fairly quiet Halloween weekend.
“No really significant property crime or violence,” said Lee. “We were out in full force, too, with our auxiliaries. We had several of them helping out over the course of the weekend.”
