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Traffic stop nabs passenger on B.C. warrants

A 24-year-old Stettler-area man is back in British Columbia after a traffic stop by Stettler RCMP this past weekend.
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This two-vehicle collision at the Highway 56 and Highway 53 intersection resulted in no injuries

A 24-year-old Stettler-area man is back in British Columbia after a traffic stop by Stettler RCMP this past weekend.

The man, who had several outstanding "persons" warrants, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a 27-year-old Stettler-area woman. During the routine traffic stop, part of the August long-weekend blitz on drunk driving, police discovered the driver didn't have a licence or insurance.

The constable who stopped the driver also checked the passenger's licence, discovering the outstanding warrants, Stettler RCMP Cpl. Cameron Russell explained.

"It was very good police work for the member to notice the passenger and check him and not just the driver," he said.

He explained that he didn't have access to the B.C. system to know exactly what the warrants in question were for, but he knew they were in a category known as “persons crime”, offences such as assault, assault with a weapon, and danger to public, Russell said, though again he did not know the exact crimes for which the individual was wanted.

Russell noted it is very unusual for individuals to be extradited back to the province for minor warrants, such as not showing up for a court date, so the likelihood of serious crimes becomes a greater probability, especially given that the individual was sent back to B.C. the next day.

The driver of the vehicle was issued several tickets and will appear at Alberta Provincial Court in Stettler in the future to answer to the tickets. Her vehicle was towed.

It was a quiet weekend otherwise for police, something that, while good, was an unexpected thing, Russell said.

As one of the last long-weekends of summer before students return to school, people are often out and about to enjoy the three-day weekend. Stettler RCMP planned for the increased crowds by having more constables out on the road and on the lake in the boat.

"The numbers were really down," Russell said. "It was really weird, actually."

He credits the lower numbers to the Big Valley Jamboree happening in Camrose, which would decrease the number of people in town for the weekend.

The rash of industrial-area break, enter and theft crimes appears to have cooled down, possibly in part due to police investigation. Russell said the RCMP have several persons of interest but the investigation is ongoing.

A Ford pick-up truck stolen from Didsbury earlier in the weekend was found on the side of Highway 12 by Nevis. The truck is being processed for evidence, but was likely stolen to facilitate an individual leaving town.

Pick-up trucks seem to be the most popular vehicle taken by thieves, and it's important that owners do not leave keys in the vehicle and lock the doors, even when the vehicle is parked in the owner's yard.