Riverside Meadows resident Albert Sauve says he and many others are so fed up with the crime, that they're willing to do something about it themselves. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall and Sheldon Spackman

TAKING ACTION

Group hits the streets to keep an eye on after-dark criminals

Jul 29, 2019 | 6:00 AM

A Red Deer man has become fed up enough that he’s taking it to the streets to help police get a handle on crime.

Albert Sauve took to a local community crime watch Facebook page on Thursday to say he’s through with seeing rampant crime in his neighbourhood, and to recruit others to go patrolling with him that night.

“Things need to change. These criminals need to be punished to the full extent,” the 35-year-old says. “We need more help, more policing. The drugs are a pandemic. We need some assistance or it’s going to just keep getting worse.”

A group of nine headed out at midnight Thursday patrolling through Riverside Meadows. Most had not met each other beforehand, other than through Facebook. Sauve says they took no weapons, nor did they wear anything to make themselves stand out.

The group ended up calling RCMP at least twice that night to report a rough sleeper camp and a person Sauve claims was high and harassing his group.

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Red Deer RCMP Staff Sergeant Jay Peden says the detachment was in touch with Sauve prior to his group heading out. He says they made it clear that if they saw something, they were only to call it in.

“In this specific case, there were no groups representing or supported by the RCMP here in Red Deer or the RCMP as a whole,” he says. “We do have the Citizens on Patrol program, and we’re looking at another initiative coming out in the future that will have volunteers work closely with the RCMP. But at this point, no, there were no groups affiliated with the RCMP out (that) night.”

Sauve says he feels for the situation police in our city find themselves in.

“RCMP have their hands full. They can’t keep up. You call them and by the time they get there, the crime’s already done and they’re gone,” he says. “People are getting arrested, then get let out the next morning, and they’re not getting fully punished for their crimes.”

“We don’t condone groups going out and looking for altercations,” Peden noted. “We want people to be the eyes for us and to call us if they see something going on and let police officers handle any type of crime or occurrences that may seem suspicious.”

Peden warns that vigilante-type occurrences can result in charges against those participating.

“When it comes to citizens effecting an arrest, there are provisions of the Criminal Code that do permit that, but there are circumstances that need to be met,” he explains. “For instance, it needs to be where they’ve found someone committing an indictable offence.

Therefore, some of the minor cause disturbance-type offences wouldn’t qualify for that – everyone’s safety is the priority.”

Sauve, who plans to arrange groups to canvas other parts of the city, says he just wants to help.

“I just want to help people. These people keep stealing from other people that work hard for their stuff,” he says.

“Poor kids are losing their bikes, adults are losing their bikes. We work hard for this stuff and I’m tired of it. Something needs to happen and there’s nothing that’s happening.”