ARTICLES

UPDATE:

The TransCanada Highway has been reopened in both directions however driving conditions continue to be poor.  Please drive with caution and avoid unnecessary travel if possible.

Be advised that due to icy roads and white out conditions, the Trans Canada Highway between Redcliff and 1 Street SW are closed until the highways can be attended to by Volker Stevin.   Police are at the scenes of multiple collisions within the city limits.

On the evening of October 16^th at about 9:45 pm the Medicine Hat Police Service along with other emergency personnel responded to a motor vehicle collision on 1 Street SE at Division Avenue South.  The investigation revealed that a Chrysler Intrepid lost control while travelling eastbound on 1 Street SE, struck a parked truck on the right shoulder, overcorrected and rolled on its roof.  A pickup that was travelling westbound on 1 Street SE then struck the Intrepid as it rested on its roof.  The driver of the westbound truck sustained only minor injuries.  The estimated value of the damages is around $10,000.  Drugs and/or alcohol were not contributing factors to this collision. 

Investigators are now clear of collision scene at Division Avenue South and 1 Street SE.  The roadway is now open to the public.  Additional information to follow.

The Medicine Hat Police is currently at the scene of a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Division Avenue South and 1 Street SE.  Please avoid this area as traffic is being re-directed.

Shortly after midnight on October 16, 2020, the Medicine Hat Police Service was notified that two horses had made their way into the Medicine Hat City limits and were wondering neighborhoods. Police observed the two horses grazing in several parks from the Hamptons to Southlands Blvd. Now catching stray horses could have posed problems for the average police service, however here in Medicine Hat we employ several cowboys and cowgirls who were up to the task. A call was placed to one of our off duty officers and he put aside his regular police equipment to attend the scene with a bucket of oats and a lasso. A short time later police were able to load both horses up into a trailer and safely transport them to the Medicine Hat Feeding Company, for safe keeping. Only.

Police have attached a photo of these two horses, so they can be turned over to their owner and they can return to the countryside.

More than $200,000 worth of stolen property and 63 firearms have been recovered after an ALERT investigation in southeast Alberta.

ALERT’s Southeast Alberta Property Crime Unit partnered with Taber Police Service, Taber RCMP, and Medicine Hat Police Service on the investigation, which culminated with search warrants being executed on September 10, 2020.

***MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Law enforcement representatives from ALERT, Taber Police, Medicine Hat Police, and RCMP will be available to speak to the media on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, at 11 a.m. at Medicine Hat Police Headquarters (884 2 Street SE).

“ALERT was successful in disrupting a group of individuals who were impacting rural communities with thefts and property crime offences,” said ALERT CEO Supt. Dwayne Lakusta. “We will continue to work with our policing partners and Crown prosecutors to ensure these individuals are held accountable.”

Three locations in Taber were searched and five people were arrested. The group is suspected of being involved in break-and-enters and vehicle thefts in Taber, Vauxhall, Lethbridge, Stirling, Vulcan, Bow Island, Seven Persons, Coaldale, and Barnwell.

ALERT further alleges that the suspects were involved in firearms trafficking. Sixty-three firearms were seized, along with approximately 60 disassembled firearms and parts, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Taber is located approximately 100 kilometers west of Medicine Hat.

Following the search warrants, investigators spent weeks cataloguing the stolen property and attempting to reunite items with their rightful owners. The stolen property included:

• seven vehicles;
• a utility trailer;
• license plates;
• lawnmowers;
• compressors;
• generators; and
• power tools.

Five suspects were arrested and face a total of 76 offences, including criminal charges such as trafficking stolen property, trafficking firearms, possession of proceeds of crime, and fraud:

• Jason Pizzati, a 46-year-old man from Taber;
• Cornelius Wolf, a 38-year-old man from Taber;
• Dustyn McCracken, a 20-year-old man from Taber;
• Greg Kosowan, a 72-year-old man from Taber; and
• Heinrich Wolf, a 35-year-old man from Taber.

ALERT’s Southeast Alberta Property Crime Unit launched at the beginning of April 2020, with its creation attributable to new funding provided by the Alberta Government. The joint forces initiative is aimed at tackling regional property crime.

Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous. Medicine Hat residents can also submit tips anonymously through the Medicine Hat Police Service mobile app, which is free to download and available for both Apple and Android devices.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Mike Tucker
Communications Director
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
780-509-3015

On October 5, 2020 at approximately 6:15 AM, members of the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) and Medicine Hat Fire Service, responded to a structure fire in the 500 block of Allowance Avenue SE. The fire was contained to a detached garage and no one was injured.

As this time, police are treating the investigation as an arson and members of the Major Crime Section are working to identify the person(s) responsible for this offence.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact the MHPS at 403-529-8481 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800 -222-8477 (TIPS). Tips may also be submitted (anonymously if preferred) thru the MHPS Mobile App, which is free and available to download for both Apple and Android devices by searching ‘Medicine Hat Police Service’ on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Media Contact:

S/Sgt. Chad Holt
Major Crime Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8421

Emergency Crews are on scene at a structure fire in the 500 Block of Allowance Ave SE., Medicine Hat. Please avoid the area and allow the police and fire services room to work. Any media inquiries are directed to the Medicine Hat Fire Service.

A rural crime spree has been thwarted, with ALERT making two arrests and recovering nearly $20,000 of stolen property.

The arrests took place on September 24, 2020, with the assistance of the Redcliff RCMP, after a Medicine Hat home was searched. The investigation was a collaborative effort between ALERT’s Southeast Alberta Property Crime Unit, Medicine Hat Police Service, Taber Police Service, Taber RCMP, and Bow Island RCMP.

ALERT has linked the stolen property to thefts in Taber, Redcliff, Dunmore, Bow Island, and Medicine Hat. Some of the stolen property included a cargo trailer, van, bicycles, and various tools.

“Prolific property crimes like these really magnify crime concerns in rural communities. ALERT teamed up with our partner agencies to put an end to this crime spree,” said Insp. Sean Boser, ALERT Regional Teams.

“The movement of criminals across our police jurisdictions requires a collaborative and targeted approach. We are grateful for the partnership with ALERT in combatting crime in southern Alberta,” said Chief Graham Abela, Taber Police Service.

Dallas MacDougall was charged with breaking-and-entering, theft, theft of motor vehicle, and possession of stolen property. The 49-year-old man from Medicine Hat also had a number of outstanding warrants from Medicine Hat and Redcliff.

Christopher Penney, a 45-year-old man from Medicine Hat, was charged with breaking-and-entering.

Meanwhile, warrants have been issued for two Lethbridge suspects. Shane Poole, a 31-year-old man, and Nicole Poole, a 25-year-old woman, are wanted for vehicle theft and theft.

Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous. Medicine Hat residents can also submit tips anonymously through the Medicine Hat Police Service mobile app, which is free to download and available for both Apple and Android devices.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Staff Sgt. Cory Both

Southeast Alberta Regional Property Crime Unit

131234403. Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)

403-952-1640

On September 29, 2020, at approximately 11:50 PM, members of the Medicine Hat Police Service responded to a report of a stabbing that had occurred at a residence on Carswell Road.

Resulting from the investigation, a 20-year-old female was arrested, and a 28 year-old male victim was transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The female suspect remains in custody and is awaiting a Judicial Interim Release Hearing,facing charges of; Aggravated Assault, Robbery, Break and Enter, and Breach of Probation.

Media Contact:

Staff Sgt Thompson
Patrol Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8461