Tag: Wood Buffalo RCMP

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac

Phone Scams Becoming More Common According to Wood Buffalo RCMP

According to the Wood Buffalo RCMP phone scams are becoming more common, and law enforcement is warning the community about these scams in the hope that fewer people will be victimized. Several complaints have been made to the police about scams and with software that can be programmed to display any number it is no surprise that the number for the Wood Buffalo RCMP is a target of the scammers. When the call comes in the number shows the police department number, and the scammer attempts to gain personal identifying details and banking information from the victim. A release by the department is warning residents about these scams so that they are prepared and they do not give out any information that could be used to commit crimes such as fraud or identity theft. According yo the release “Don’t be afraid to say no and hang up.”

The increase in phone scams reported to the Wood Buffalo RCMP is a problem that is growing everywhere as sophisticated technology makes it easier for a scam artist to appear to be a legitimate business or government entity. Social insurance numbers, bank account numbers, and other financial or identity information could be used to open accounts or receive fraudulent services or products. The Wood Buffalo RCMP will never request this information. Residents should always verify all the facts, and never give in to attempts to pressure or intimidate. These are warning signs that you are being scammed. Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call or thinks they have been the victim of a scam attempt should call the police immediately and report it.

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Alberta Ft Mac

Wood Buffalo RCMP Investigates Drug Trafficking in Thickewood, Two 19 Year Old Residents Arrested

The Wood Buffalo RCMP received a tip on drug trafficking through Crime Stoppers. Someone reported that a male and female were dealing drugs from an apartment building in Thickewood, and on July 15, 2016 the Wood Buffalo RCMP Drug Unit responded and 2 individuals were arrested. According to Cpl. George Cameron, the spokesperson for the Wood Buffalo RCMP, an investigation was opened after the tip was sent in at the beginning of June. Cameron explained “There was enough evidence in order for the courts to grant a search warrant. This a good example of where Crime Stoppers does work. It got more drugs off our streets.” During a search of the premises officers found and seized more than 1 fentanyl pill, around 144 grams of cocaine, and also around 50 grams of marijuana.

After the drug trafficking tip to Crime Stoppers was given to police the Wood Buffalo RCMP arrested 19 year old Jennie Podanovitch and 19 year old Tristen Bradbury, both Fort McMurray residents, when the pair were leaving their residence on Signal Road in Thickewood. Police also found roughly $35,000 in cash which is believed to be drug trafficking proceeds, as well as a shotgun and ammunition for the weapon. Cpl. Cameron could not yet give a specific street value for the drugs found but estimated that they had a value in the thousands of dollars. Both teens are facing charges for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, possession of fentanyl, possession of property obtained by crime, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and unsafe storage of a firearm. In addition Podanovitch also has a separate marijuana trafficking charge pending as well.

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Alberta Ft Mac

The Wood Buffalo RCMP is Seeking Public Assistance to Solve 2007 Disappearance

The Wood Buffalo RCMP needs help from the public so they can solve a 2007 disappearance. The last time that Shelley Ann Waquan was seen she was in downtown Fort McMurray on July 1, 2007, but police stated that she did visit Edmonton at times. Waquan is reported as missing and no one has seen or talked to her in over 9 years. Police are hoping to find out whether Shelly is still alive, and if not then what happened to her. According to RCMP’s K Division spokesperson Sgt. Jack Poitras the family needs to know what happened. “They were thinking there’s no other way to help find closure to what happened. When it’s been this long and nothing has come up, it’s good to bring the case back to the public’s attention to see if anyone suddenly remembers something they overlooked before. After nine years, we are hoping this creates some new avenues into the investigation and bringing some closure to the family. Maybe a detail someone thought was not important will suddenly be seen as important. If that happens, we’re hoping they contact police.”

According to the Wood Buffalo RCMP before her disappearance Waquan was 198 pounds and 5’3” tall. Shelly is a Mikisew Cree First Nation member, and both her eyes and hair were brown when she was last seen. A tattoo which reads SHIRL is on Waquan’s right wrist, and she was missing a number of teeth at the time of her disappearance. Anyone who has information about Shelly Waquan can contact the Wood Buffalo RCMP by calling 780-788-4040, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or submit information at tipsubmit.com.

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18 Year Old Facing Breaking and Entering Plus Other Charges by Wood Buffalo RCMP for June Crimes

18 year old Fort McMurray resident Taetm Lucaas D. Moon is wanted by the Wood Buffalo RCMP for breaking and entering as well as other crimes. The alleged crimes occurred on June 9, 2016 in the vicinity of Timberlea and Thickwood, and Moon is facing 5 counts of possession of property obtained by crime as well as a count of failing to comply with disposition, a count of breaking and entering, and a count of trespassing by night. There is a warrant out for Taetm’s arrest and police are actively looking for him. Police report that Moon is 5’9” in height, he weighs 140 pounds, and both his hair and eyes are brown.

Wood Buffalo RCMP spokesperson Cpl. George Cameron discussed the case and offered some tips to deter breaking and entering or theft. “He was already on some kind of conditions already. Don’t make it easy for thieves. Lock your doors, windows, don’t leave anything outside that is valuable. The harder we make it, the less complaints files like this we’ll have to investigate.” Anyone who has information about Moon can contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or call the Wood Buffalo RCMP at Wood Buffalo RCMP at 780-788-4040. Many thieves and other criminals can be deterred by some simple measures and vigilance. People forget to lock doors, they leave valuables in vehicles, and they are not always aware of their surroundings or what is going on. This can make you a more likely target for a thief or other criminal.

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Beacon Hill Safe Broken Into, Wood Buffalo RCMP Arrest Contractor for Crime

While most of the community was safe after the wildfire evacuation there have been a few stories of people acting less than honorably. According to the Wood Buffalo RCMP one of these incidents involved a Quebec contractor who was working in Wood Buffalo. According to the charges filed police investigate a safe in a Beacon Hill home which had been broken into. The home itself was completely destroyed in the disaster, but apparently the 33 year old contractor did not think the residents had lost enough so he broke into a safe that was still in the severely damaged home. The safe turned out to be empty but that did not stop the contractor from being charged for his actions. When someone is evacuated the first instinct is to grab all valuables so it should have been obvious to the contractor that the safe would hold little of value in the first place.

The Beacon Hill safe breaking is just the second arrest that the Wood Buffalo RCMP has had to make since the wildfire evacuation. The first arrest was a 19 year old man who kicked in the front door on two different residences on Waniandy Way. In that case police used a k-9 unit to track the teen back to his parents home where he was arrested. RCMP Superintendent Rob McCloy warned that “We are committed to remaining on the job for you, as we have throughout this challenging time. Make no mistake, the RCMP will protect this community from harm.”

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Alberta Ft Mac

Wood Buffalo RCMP is Back to Full Operation

The Wood Buffalo RCMP is back to full operation after the wildfire evacuation and destruction, and everything is in place so that the re-entry for those evacuated can go ahead as planned so far. RCMP Superintendant Rob McCloy recently gave the Wood Buffalo council a presentation and he told the council that morale was extremely high among the officers. Local members of the detachment had an enforced break but this is over and officers are back patrolling the community. McCloy also explained that during the worst of it many of the officers would catch some sleep in their vehicles while they were between shifts. According to McCloy during the presentation “The main thing I want to say is, we’re back.” The superintendent also made it clear that the mass looting rumors that were circulating on Facebook were not true, saying “It’s locked down.”

With the Wood Buffalo RCMP back to full operation people who return during the re-entry phase can be assured that they are safe and that police are engaged in patrols. After the community was evacuated police reports showed that many doors were kicked in, but it is not yet clear whether many of these cases involved looting or if the doors were broken as a result of search and rescue efforts. According to the RCMP “We’re not treating it as a crime per se until people come in.” Those returning can report a crime if they determine anything is missing, but until the resident reports a crime police have no way of knowing whether the broken doors and home entries were the result of neighbors trying to rescue people and pets.