OLDS – During the first quarter of this year, three offensive weapons were seized by Olds RCMP, according to their quarterly report.
That figure alarmed Coun. James Cummings. He noted that offensive weapons in the community were also seized in one or two other recent cases.
“It seems that those numbers are always increasing. We hear about it a lot the news. We see it a lot our local detachment, getting these weapons off the street,” Cummings said.
“I'm kind of happy that we're getting weapons off the street, kind of sad that there's that many weapons on the street in Olds that are involved, I'm assuming, in other crimes.”
In addition to the three instances listed in the report, Cummings said another weapon was seized during a drug raid in Olds. He said in another case, a man had a firearm in his RV.
“In your experience, is it normal for us to have this? Because the stats don't seem to bear it up, this many firearm-related offences,” Cummings asked.
“Are this many firearms seized during other raids? Is it something that the community should be very worried about or not?”
Cpl. Leif Svendsen: said he doesn’t think that stat should worry residents at all.
“If you look at the overall percentage, this is a 200 per cent jump from the previous quarter. (That) most definitely looks significant, but the actual number is three versus one from the prior (reporting period),” he said.
Svendsen also noted that the other two seizures came after March 31, the end of the first quarter, the period the report was focused on.
He cited another case from the current second quarter, in which RCMP seized a collapsible baton like police carry.
“We take these weapons from individuals when there's offences, say, related to why they're in custody,” Svendsen said.
Overall, Svendsen said, the number of offensive weapons police seize in Olds is very small, compared to other communities.
He also pointed out that the term “offensive weapon” could refer to a baton or even a pocket knife.
“Three in a quarter isn't significant to me. I've worked in places where many more weapons were seized, even on a weekly basis,” Svendsen said, describing Olds, in his experience, as “a very safe place to be.”
“I don't think that that number and that percentage should cause any concerns for the citizens of the community, in my opinion,” he added.
