A misunderstanding at a construction site in Conrich drew a significant police presence to the area Jan. 12, when two men allegedly attempted to dispose of their garbage in someone else’s dumpster.
“We were dispatched to a theft of vehicle in progress,” said Sgt. Jay Salmon with Strathmore RCMP. “We had CPS HAWCS assist us in locating the vehicle, and our members responded…and initiated a high-risk takedown.”
The response saw members from both Chestermere and Strathmore RCMP attending the scene, where police arrested the two suspects who were believed to have been responsible for the potential theft. However, Salmon said it soon became clear that the men weren’t trying to steal anything – instead, they were using the nearby dumpster to get rid of their own trash.
“There was somebody putting garbage in the wrong dumpster at a construction site – and because of the language barrier, it kind of got blown out of proportion,” he said. “The members were able to get it all resolved and figured out.”
While a typical case of illegal dumping doesn’t require such a large police response, situations involving a stolen vehicle with suspects inside of it requires RCMP to act cautiously, Salmon said, due to the possibility of escalation.
“Often, they are armed, and for safety reasons, we basically do an arrest at a heightened risk-assessment level,” he said. “Anytime we have a situation where there’s people in the vehicle, it has the potential to go bad fast.”
It’s also not an unusual case, according to Salmon. Misunderstandings are fairly frequent, and always involve a significant response as a result of that heightened risk. However, he said residents of Conrich were likely sensitive following a shooting Jan. 8 that left a woman with life-threatening injuries.
“It’s understandable that people were a little concerned when they see that kind of police presence,” he said. “Especially with the helicopter, and then the four or five cars that were there.”
According to Salmon, an investigation into the incident remains open, but no criminal charges are pending and the men have been released. However, they could see possible illegal disposal or provincial statute charges, he said, as illegal dumping is an issue in the area.
“Illegal dumping does happen quite often, but it’s generally not into somebody else’s dumpster,” he said. “Around Calgary, when people want to get rid of their garbage, they’ll take it out into a field or to a secluded place and they’ll throw their construction garbage or old couch or whatever out there.”
Typically, he added, these cases are handled quietly with the help of municipal peace officers, often resulting in the issuance of provincial tickets.
“I think the only reason this is even a thing is because of the shooting that happened in Conrich last week – had that not happened, I don’t think anyone would have worried about this,” Salmon said. “It’s just somebody throwing something away.”
