The goal behind check stops and police patrols, which tend to be ramped up for busy weekends, is not about ruining people's fun but rather to ensure everyone is playing safely and responsibly. The Sundre RCMP detachment's second in command, Cpl.
The goal behind check stops and police patrols, which tend to be ramped up for busy weekends, is not about ruining people's fun but rather to ensure everyone is playing safely and responsibly.
The Sundre RCMP detachment's second in command, Cpl. Joe Mandel, invited the Round Up for a ride along during the May long weekend to drive that point home as well as to illustrate the extent to which agencies go to educate the public before resorting to enforcing punitive measures such as citations.
The Friday, May 19 night shift started at 6 p.m., but the initial patrol to a check stop located on Highway 584 and Rig Street South was briefly delayed when an officer returning from his day shift had to respond to a call on his way back to the station, temporarily leaving the corporal without a cruiser.
But before long, the officer ending his day shift returned to the detachment, and shortly afterwards the corporal was en route to his designated check stop. Despite on-and-off rain and hail earlier that day, the skies were largely clear and the road conditions were about as good as they get.
Upon arriving at the check stop, Mandel deployed a number of traffic cones and began participating in vehicle and motorist checks with two colleagues. The numerous interactions between the public and police at the check stop were handled courteously and professionally, with many drivers even beaming smiles, eager to go camping and enjoy the weekend.
"The long-term users appreciate seeing us out here," Mandel told the Round Up.
That's because people who frequently, regularly or even just occasionally come out to camp in the West Country have a vested interest in making sure everyone is using the land responsibly, so seeing a police presence is encouraging to people who are concerned about the potential for reckless abuse or misuse of the natural resources available.
After police officers had completed their checks, volunteer members of Sundre Search and Rescue (SAR) also engaged motorists to make available information about the group's activities as well as to encourage people to be like sasquatch — which is to say leaving the land without a trace.
"Pack out what you pack in," was among the main messages shared with the public, said Ken Jewell, a Sundre resident who volunteers for search and rescue with his wife Brenda.
"We love this area and we want to keep it clean," he told the Round Up during a momentary lull in traffic at the check stop.
"If it keeps getting messy, they're going to shut it down," he said, referring to the government's proposed plans to restrict access to certain areas throughout Alberta that have been negatively impacted by reckless and irresponsible land use, which creates an environmental concern.
The check stop — which saw come through a span of about two hours a large variety of recreational vehicles ranging from older, more modest models to newer, modern behemoths — continued until about 9 p.m., by which point the sun had largely set.
Following the check stop was a routine patrol, started by going up Rig Street. The corporal crossed paths with two colleagues tending to a car that was abandoned in a ditch. Police believed an impaired driver lost control coming around a corner due to excessive speed and then fled the scene.
Resuming the patrol, Mandel was making his way down Ho Chi Min Trail in an easterly direction when a report came in after 10 p.m. regarding a complaint of firearms being discharged at a camp. Turning back, the corporal located the scene within about 10 minutes with assistance from two members in another cruiser.
With dozens of youths out for a carefree night of camping, the police officers calmly explained their presence and that someone had called to report a concern about firearms. Some of the campers indicated fireworks might have been the source of the sound that prompted the report.
The police essentially want to keep the peace, he told the Round Up.
"We want to make sure everyone's getting along."
Following a brief interaction with the group, which included a young adult who actually requested a breathalyzer test to make sure he was safe to drive, Mandel, who seemed pleased with the largely positive interaction, was back on the roads patrolling.
But it wasn't long before two Alberta Conservation officers radioed the RCMP for assistance with a suspected impaired driver. That scene turned out to be mere minutes from the campsite the corporal had just left behind. He arrived shortly before 11 p.m., as did two other police officers, who ended up bringing the suspect back to Sundre's detachment while the corporal remained on-scene until a tow truck arrived. Since the driver was caught impaired with a suspended license, the vehicle was automatically seized for 30 days.
Following a roughly two-hour wait, during which time the corporal remained outside of his vehicle to improve his situational awareness and ability to react if need be, the tow truck arrived. Shortly after 1 a.m. he was back on the road, returning to the detachment via Highway 54 through Caroline. Just west of that municipality, Mandel observed the scene of a rollover attended by several emergency responders. After safely pulling over to offer assistance, he was informed ambulances had already left the scene, which was under control.
Back in Sundre shortly after 2 a.m., the corporal and his colleagues processed the impaired driver, who blew double the legal limit and was later allowed to leave after securing an alternate way home.
With some time still on the corporal's clock for the night shift, he engaged in a routine patrol in Sundre, checking out the subdivision in the northeast, the Snake Hill parking lot, Main Avenue and the industrial park before he topped up his cruiser's gas tank and returned to the detachment to call it a night at about 3:30 a.m.
