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Clearwater RCMP reports busy quarter

Both Clearwater RCMP detachment and traffic services are now at full complement

After several years of being understaffed, both Clearwater RCMP detachment and traffic services are now at full complement.

And they've been busy, Sgt. Kevin Podbisky reported in his quarterly report to town council on Jan. 21.

Detachment members investigated 397 files during the final quarter of 2013, compared to 375 during the same period in 2012. Traffic members investigated 71 files during this period. A total of 446 calls for service were investigated during the quarter.

In line with the detachment's strategic priorities addressing traffic safety and substance abuse, the Clearwater detachment and traffic services units issued a total of 495 tickets and warnings during the quarter.Of these, the general duty members wrote 78 and traffic services 417. Four impaired driving charges were laid during the quarter.

Several seizures of drugs and/or money were made, three of them by the same constable.

In November, a traffic services member stopped a vehicle on Highway 5 near Blue River. A quantity of marijuana and $31,500 was seized from the wheel well of the truck. Although the driver said he had been given the money by his father, charges of proceeds of crime are pending against him.

In December, the same traffic services member stopped a vehicle on Highway 5 near Clearwater. As a result of the subsequent investigation, a consent search was obtained and 583.5 gm of psilocybin mushroom was seized. Charges of possession for the purposes of trafficking are pending against the male subject.

Although not during the final quarter of 2013, Podbisky also reported on a vehicle stop carried out by the same traffic services member on Highway 5 in Blackpool. The male driver was found to be in possession of marijuana and $18,000 was seized as a result of the search of the vehicle. Charges of proceeds of crime, impaired driving and possession are pending against the driver.

Clearwater detachment members also investigated and laid eight criminal charges during the reporting period.This year's annual performance plan for Clearwater RCMP are: 1, traffic enforcement, aggressive drivers; 2, traffic enforcement, impaired drivers; 3, organized crime, drug investigations; and 4, community policing, police visibility.