| Vol. 1 No. 4 1999-03-19 | |
Bell Island Community Policing Newsletter Community Policing - Everyone’s Business |
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| CONTENTS Team work |
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| Team work - Recipe for
Success Every community has its own resources which are necessary for it to function. Some resources are unique to a particular community and some are similiar to those offered in other communities. Our community has many resources in the form of schools, council services, police, churches, businesses, seniors, volunteer organizations, and other services. Each service has its own unique function and works towards the betterment of the community. Often in the past, community services worked solely on their own and that may have worked well but today we are often faced with more complex problems and issues. We can no longer afford to keep separate and maintain an "us and them" attitude. If we maintain an "us and them" attitude it will be a deterent to our goals. It will reduce the sharing of information, slow down the learning process, delay improvements and waste energy on maintaining barriers to communication. Community problem solving must involve a team approach. The questions we need to ask are: "How can we make this situation better?" and "What partnerships can we form to work towards a better solution?" Working together we share information, ideas and approaches to situations in our community. Working together we form lasting relationships and we come to understand and appreciate each other’s goals and values. Working together brings results. This is not only what community policing is about , it is what a community is about. The RCMPolice members of the Bell Island Community Policing office are interested in speaking and working with community groups, service and government agencies in the Bell Island area both in casual and formal settings. This will enable the members to determine what common threads exist and how we can work together in the best interest of the community. Any interested parties can contact the Bell Island Community Policing Office at telephone # 709-488-3312. |
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| From Sarge’s DeskAll terrain vehicles (ATV’s) are popular recreation vehicles which are
utilized by many persons in our community. They are a source of enjoyment to those who
operate them and lighten the workload of those who haul wood and other materials. When
used properly on country paths and old woods roads, not normally accessible to vehicular
traffic, they cause little problems for the residents of any community. However, those
that use them recklessly and without respect for other people and their property are a
menace.
On 99-03-04, two Bell Island youths aged 15 years and 17 years were apprehended for operating ATV’s on the roadway and on community property. The ATV’s they were operating were seized by the police and are being held pending the outcome of court proceedings. One of the youths had been charged on two previous occassions for similiar offences. Further investigation revealed that one of the ATV’s was taken without the owner’s consent. Charges under Section 335(1) of the Criminal Code are pending against the 15 year old youth. Operating ATV’s on a roadway may seem like a minor offence but let me tell you, it’s not so minor when you have to go to a parent or relative and explain how someone was killed or seriously injured while operating one of these machines. This may never happen and I hope that it doesn’t but as long as these vehicles are being driven on a roadway, the potential is there for this to occur. The only time that an ATV operator can operate on a roadway is under the following conditions: 1. The operator must have a valid driver’s licence issued under the Highway Traffic Act. 2. The vehicle must be insured. 3. The operator must drive DIRECTLY across the roadway. 4. The operator must ensure the action of driving across the roadway can be completed in a safe manner. 5. The operator must be wearing a helmet approved under the Highway Traffic Act (Licencing and Equipment Regulations). This is required at all times when operating an ATV. If a person operates other than the above, they could be charged with offences under the All Terrain Vehicle Regulations and under the Highway Traffic Act. I might add that an offence under the Highway Traffic Act for operating a vehicle without insurance, now has a minimum fine of $1000.00. In addition to this, the police have authority to seize the vehicle and the operator must then apply to the Provincial Court Judge for the release of this vehicle. My advice for operators of ATV’s is to continue to enjoy the use of these vehicles but operate them with safety in mind and respect the rights of others. A little common sense can work for you as well as the community. |
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| February
Stats The Bell Island Community Policing Office handled 50 calls for service during February month. Most of the calls were routine but about 30 per cent of the calls were in relation to assaults or similiar offences. There was only one report of a break and enter offence and this was of a minor nature. Details of a few of February’s calls are as follows: On 99-02-03, a report was received from a Bell Island business man relating two tires were slashed on a van belonging to his business. This occurred sometime during the evening business hours on 99-02-02. On 99-02-04, a Bell Island woman reported a credit card fraud. The woman received a call from the credit department of a credit card company regarding a balance owing on her card. When the woman explained she did not own such a card, she discovered that someone had obtained a card in her name and had utilized the same to make purchases. The matter is still under investigation at this time. On 99-02-06, police received a report regarding some minor damage to the Pentecostal Church on Third St., Bell Island. The damage occurred sometime between 8:00 pm and early hours of 99-02-06. On 99-02-11, a report was received from a local school regarding damage to school property. A 14 year old Bell Island youth was charged with damage to property and will appear in court on 99-04-14. On 99-02-10, a report was received regarding the theft of a battery from a dump truck which occurred on Memorial St., Bell Island. The theft occurred sometime between 98-12-20 and 99-02-10. On 99-02-13, a 17 year old Bell Island youth was apprehended for drinking under age. The youth had no prior record and has been accepted for the youth diversion program. On 99-02-19, a 40 year old Bell Island man was charged with fraud as a result of cashing a cheque to which he was not entitled. The offence occurred on 99-01-20 and the man will appear in court on 99-04-14. On 99-02-19 a 26 year old Bell Island man was charged with possession of stolen property. The charge is a result of an investigation into a theft of 1500 feet of copper wire which was reported stolen by representatives of Nfld. Light and Power on 1998-10-24. The wire was removed from an old pole line off Nish Jackman Drive, Bell Island and is valued at approximately $1200. The wire was recovered during the initial stages of the investigation. The man will appear in provincial court, St. John’s on 99-04-14. On 99-02-22 at 11:37 pm a Bell Island woman discovered the door to her residence was wide open. Police responded and found no damage to the property nor was there any indication of illegal entry. On 99-02-23, a Bell Island woman reported her residence had been damaged by her 15 year old son. The youth was charged with damage to property and will appear in court on 99-04-14 on this charge. On 99-02-24, a report was received from the Bell Island animal control officer. He related a Bell Island resident had reported one of his sheep had been destroyed by roaming dogs. Three Bell Island dog owners were charged for allowing their dogs to roam and will appear in court on 99-04-14 to answer to the charges. On 99-02-25, a 30 year old Bell Island man was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon and uttering threats. The charge resulted from an incident which occurred on the parking lot of a local convience store. The man threatened another Bell Island man with a baseball bat. The man was released on an undertaking to appear in court on 99-04-14. |
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| Youth
and the PoliceThree Bell Island
youths were recognized recently as a result of their contribution towards community
policing. They are:
Amanda King John Sweeney Loretta Power These youths are students of St. Michael’s High School, Bell Island and their participation reflects well on their character and that of their school. They each received a double movie pass compliments of Empire Theatres, VOCM and the RCMPolice. Congradulations to Amanda, John and Loretta and we hope they enjoy the movie. |
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| Bell Island Fire Department One of the most important resources to rural communities are the local fire departments. These departments are completely run by volunteers who spend countless hours in training and preventative work. The fire department on Bell Island consists of twenty volunteers as follows: Jim Pendergast - Chief Scott Kitchen - Assistant Chief Andrew Somerton - 1st Dep. Chief Terry King - 2nd Dep. Chief Frank Pendergast - Treasurer Jim Ashford - Secretary Ronald Barnes - Firefighter Wade Reardon - Firefighter Terry Skehans - Firefighter Walter Filler - Firefighter Gordon Stoyles, Sr. - Firefighter Gerry Sweeney - Firefighter Wayne Harding - Firefighter Angus Sweeney - Firefighter Jerry Butler - Firefighter Jabez Butler - Firefighter Jim Pendergast, Jr. - Firefighter John Taylor - Firefighter Wayne Young - Firefighter Gordon Stoyles, Jr. - Firefighter These persons are the ones we depend on when a fire occurs. They are also there to help during missing person searches and other situations. You’ll often find them lending a hand at community events and working towards the betterment of their community. Hats off to these fine citizens, they are to be commended for their efforts. |
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| Meet
your PoliceOur featured member this
month is Cst. Hazel Duncan. Cst. Duncan has completed five and a half years of service
with the RCMPolice as of April 1999. She was born in Forfar, Scotland and later moved to
Guernsey in the Channel Islands. In 1981 she and her family immigrated to Canada to
Florenceville, New Brunswick where her family was involved in potato and grain farming.
She completed her high school in Bristol, New Brunswick after which she attended the
University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She completed her degree in
Physical Education and Recreation and was the recreation director for the
Florenceville-Bristol and Bath Recreation and Parks Commission. In October 1993 she
attended the RCMPolice training academy in Regina, Saskatchewan and in May of 1994 she was
posted to Gander, Nfld. She remained there until July of 1998 when she was transferred to
the Bell Island Community Policing Office.
Since her arrival on Bell Island, Cst. Duncan has been involved with the Bell Island Community Enrichment Committee, St. Augustine’s School, The Boys and Girls Club and the Seniors Peer Advocate Program. Hazel enjoys a number of leisure activities such as running, reading and skiing. Hazel will be getting married in September of this year to Greg Ford who is an RCMP member presently stationed in Hopedale-Davis Inlet, Labrador. |
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| Unsolved Crime of the MonthEverything was secure when Paul Martin left the
Monsignor Bartlett arena after finishing his shift just before 12:00 midnight on
1998-03-23. The Junior Blues had a game scheduled for the evening of 99-03-24, so Paul
Martin returned to the arena at 9:45 am on 99-03-24 to clean up a bit before the game. As
he entered the arena, he noted the door to the room where the safe was located had been
forced open. The bottom of the safe had been beaten out with the use of a sledge hammer.
Approximately $1700 in bills of denominations of $5, $10 & $20's was taken from the
safe. Mr. Martin notified the arena manager and contacted the RCMP Bell Island Community
Policing office. The scene was examined by the Identification Services Section. It was
determined that entry to the arena was gained through a door on the north side of the
building with the use of a pry bar. Once inside the culprit(s) entered a number of rooms.
Besides entering the storage room where the safe was located they kicked the door into a
room next to the storage room. This is where they found the sledge hammer they used on the
safe. They also entered the canteen area and took a quantity of chips and bars from this
area. The manager’s office door was also kicked in but little was taken from this
room. A mess was made in this room and it appears that the culprit(s) may have been
searching for money unsuccessfully here. They also entered the Junior Blues room and took
a quantity of beer from this room. It is believed approximately 10 dozen beer had been
stored here. They pried open the door to the bar and from this area approximately 20-22
twenty-four cases of assorted beer was taken as well as four or five 40 ounce bottles of
liquor.
Identification Services conducted an extensive examination of the scene and some physical evidence was found as a result. Police Dog services were called and the area surrounding the arena was searched for evidence. The services of General Investigations (GIS) were requested as well. Extensive inquiries and interviews of suspects were conducted in this investigation but there is insufficient evidence to support a charge at this time. Police believe that more than one individual was involved in this incident and that one or all of these individuals had some knowledge of the arena and its layout. The cost to the arena because of the thefts and damage caused by this incident was in excess of $5200. This is a very substantial amount for a community organization to recover from. Community organizations such as this provide recreation for young and old alike and an incident such as this puts an undue stress on them. What may very well have been a night of misguided entertainment for those who committed this offence, could well have been disasterous for our youth and adults who enjoy this recreation activity. This matter is still actively being investigated and it is hoped some information may be generated by this article. Should you have any information on this or any other offence, please contact the RCMPolice Community Policing Office ph#709-488-3312 or Crime Stoppers at ph#800-363-8477. Your identity will be kept in confidence. |
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| Council
News The Wabana Town Council is requesting interested citizens to get involved this year in a full day or weekend of activities for Bell Island Day. Council has the authority to designate one full day as a holiday each year for this purpose. Any person or organization who wishes to take part in this event can contact the council office for further detail. The year 2000 will be the 50th anniversay of the town of Wabana, a significant milestone for any community. Planning for the celebrations has already begun but the organization of such an event will require a tremendous effort and volunteers are needed. We hope these celebrations will serve to reaffirm the pride that Bell Islanders have in their community. We welcome assistance from all persons or agencies to help us in this worthwhile endeavour. If you or your group is interested, please contact the Wabana Town Council office at ph#709-488-2025. The Wabana Town Council wishes to advise all dog owners in the town that these animals must be safely tethered or penned up at all times. The only exceptions are the following: I) it is being held on a leash by a person capable of restraining its movements. Ii) it is being used by a person for the purpose of lawful hunting. Iii) it is being used by a person to work in a lawful manner with sheep. Any unlicenced dogs found at large in our community will be impounded and destroyed by our animal control officer. The owner of any dog found at large, licenced or unlicenced, can be charged under the Provincial Dog Act or under the Wabana Town Regulations. The town of Wabana does not wish to be unduely harsh but we have a responsibilty to those citizens who do not own dogs as well. If you are the owner of a dog in this community we only ask that you be responsible and respect the rights of others. |
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| Seniors - An untapped ResourceEvery community has its share of senior citizens. They
are people who come from many different walks of life and who have had many interesting
and wonderful experiences. They are war veterans, nurses, doctors, teachers,
fisherpersons, council workers, officers, social workers, trades people, mechanics, truck
drivers, police officers, etc. The vast knowledge of skills and experiences of these
people are an invaluable resource to any community.
I don’t think any community can afford not to seek out our seniors when looking for assistance with any group or project. After all they’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt long before many of us were out of diapers. I’m sure there are many active seniors in our community that would love an opportuinity to be involved in some community activity. There is always something that can be done. All they need is an opportuinity. Cst. Hazel Duncan will be the guest speaker at the general meeting of the Bell Island Seniors Peer Advocate Group on March 23, 1999 at 2:30 pm at the Royal Canadian Legion, Quigley’s Line, Bell Island. The topic of discussion will be home exercises and health for seniors. All seniors are welcome. For more information contact Dorothy Bonnell at ph#709-488-2694 or Cst. Hazel Duncan at ph#709-488-3312. |
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| Court
Watch The following are persons convicted of offences at Provincial Court, St. John’s during this reporting period: On March 10, 1999 a 46 year old Bell Island man entered guilty pleas to three counts of assault and a breach of undertaking on this date. These charges result from a report received by police in early February. The matter was set over to 99-04-14 for sentencing. However, the man was arrested at provincial court this same date for committing a breach of his undertaking by communicating with a witness in this matter on the court premises. He was remanded in custody until 99-03-11 for purposes of a bail hearing. On 99-03-11, the man appeared in provincial court and plead guilty to all charges pending against him. All matters were set over to 99-03-17 for sentencing. A 40 year old Bell Island woman entered a plea of guilty to a charge of assault on 99-03-10. This matter was set over to 99-04-14 for sentencing. A 26 year old Bell Island man was convicted of causing a disturbance on 99-03-10. He was fined $75 plus a victim fine surcharge of $7.50. A 26 year old Bell Island man was arrested on 99-03-09 for offences of criminal harrassment, uttering threats to kill, assault, damage to property and theft. The man committed these offences against his girlfriend between the period of 99-01-01 and 99-03-08. He was remanded in custody for the purposes of a bail hearing. The bail hearing commenced on 99-03-10 and continued during the morning of 99-03-11. The man’s bail was denied and as a result he entered pleas to all charges. He was sentenced to serve nine months concurrent on all charges and was placed on probation for a period of two years upon release. On 99-03-11 the trial of a 42 year old Bell Island man charged with uttering threats and assault, was held. He was convicted, given a suspended sentence and placed on probation for a period of one year. |
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| Island Advisory Services ReportThe IAS Committee would like to take this opportuinity
to congradulate the RCMP Community Policing office and the editor, Sgt. Wayne Hebb for
producing such an informative and quality newsletter. The IAS Committee would also like to
thank the editor for giving us space to inform the residents of ongoing activities and
projects that the IAS Committe undertakes.
The IAS Committee is very pleased with the progress of the Wabana Complex(former trade school) as an incubator mall for new and expanding businesses. In the original business plan, the IAS Committee set a goal of achieving 40 % occupancy in the first year. The Committee is pleased to announce that they have surpassed this goal in the first three months of operations. The Wabana Complex is now the home of the Town of Wabana, HTL Training, Headstart Preschool, Heritage Works and Beothic Boats. The IAS Committee is also pleased to announce they have been able to create several positions at the Wabana Complex. We recently hired a maintenance/utility person and created five short-term positions to renovate a portion of the building. The major project the IAS Committee is currently working on is a social and economic development conference, Proud of our Past, Building for our Future. This conference will be presented by the IAS and the Bell Island Association of Community Living, at the Wabana Complex on March 30th and 31st of this year. This conference will be all about the fundamental task of creating more enterprises, and employment opportuinities for Bell Island as well as the inclusion of developmentally challenged individuals into our community. This conference will include a display of local information and resources, featured speakers and key government officials. Included at this conference will be the official opening of the Wabana Complex. Most importantly this conference will give people the opportuinity to meet and discuss development. If you would like to attend this conference please contact Bride Pynn, Conference Co-ordinator, at ph# 709-488-2411 to reserve space. The IAS Committee is a very active group of volunteers dedicated to the social and economic development of our community. We have achieved many accomplishments over the past couple of years including the hiring of an Economic Development officer and the redevelopment of the former trade school. We have also assisted many other groups, businesses and individuals with the preparation of proposals for funding. We invite all individuals who are interested in the future development of Bell Island to join one of our sub-committees or the IAS Committee itself. For further information, contact Paul Connors at ph# 709-488-2515 or email him at bellisle@firstcity.net. |
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| CommentsYour comments are welcome. Should you have a comment or
wish to discuss any of the topics in this newsletter or other topics of interest to
community policing, please visit the Bell Island Community Policing office, Memorial St.,
Bell Island or contact us by mail, telephone or email:
P.O. Box 1179 Telephone : 709-488-3312 Email: whebb@nf.sympatico.ca EVERYONE IS WORTHY OF RESPECT |
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