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MARCH 31, 2015
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Vol. 64, Issue 62
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Power in the Poetry
THE WEEK ON THE BEAT
Police repond to erratic drivers, thefts and warrants ARNE PETRYSHEN
There were 162 calls for service from March 23 to 29. Cranbrook RCMP Staff Sgt. Dave Dubnyk provided the weekly police report. March 23 7:56 a.m. Report of a vehicle hitting a deer. 9:10 a.m. An officer on patrol pulled over a vehicle for a seatbelt violation, but it turned out the driver did not have a driver’s licence and also had outstanding arrest warrants. The driver was issued violation tickets for the seatbelt infraction and driving without a valid licence. The vehicle was impounded for 30 days. Dubnyk said the arrest warrants were out of Alberta and the issuing agency has not chosen to extend them at this time. 9:11 a.m. Theft of beer was reported form a local beer and wine store. Police are looking at surveillance video and the matter is still under investigation. 11:00 a.m. An abandoned 911 call turned out to be a pocket dial. 12:55 p.m. An erratic driver was reported. The vehicle was a white Pontiac Firebird with B.C. licence plates. It was weaving in and out of traffic and cutting other drivers off. Police could not locate the vehicle or driver, but forwarded the information and licence plate to Elk Valley RCMP, where the vehicle is registered. 1:16 p.m. Cranbrook RCMP received a request to help execute an unendorsed arrest warrant on a person in Cranbrook. An unendorsed warrant means the subject has to appear in front of a justice prior to being released.
See POLICE , Page 4
BARRY COULTER PHOTO
More than 500 turned out to hear and see internationally renowned poet Shane Koyczan put on an electrifying performance of the spoken word arts at the Key City Theatre in Cranbrook, Monday, March 30. See more later this week in the Townsman.
Deer trap trasher to be sentenced Wednesday TREVOR CRAWLEY
Judge Ron Webb will hand down his judgement on Wednesday in the matter of Devin Kazakoff and the vandalism of a deer trap in Marysville in February 2014. Crown and defence counsel presented their submissions to Webb, as Kazakoff pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief under $5,000. The crown elected to proceed summarily, which carries a possible permanent criminal record for Kazakoff.
The defence is seeking a conditional discharge, which will not result in a criminal record. Also at issue is the amount of financial restitution, as Crown is seeking roughly $3,800 while the defence is arguing for restitution of approximately $500. The matter revolves around the vandalism of two deer traps in Marysville by Kazakoff and Lucky Sikora early last year. Kazakoff expressed re-
morse for his actions and said the vandalism was done in the heat of the moment after all legal attempts to prevent a deer cull were exhausted. Crown countered that his actions were calculated and deliberate, noting he drove down from Invermere—his hometown—to conduct the vandalism of the traps in Marysville. Laying out the nature of the charges and the file, Crown counsel described the
events lead up to and during the offence, which was the vandalism of a clover deer trap in February 2014. After Kimberley was given a permit to cull deer in December 2013, clover traps were deployed in February 2014 to proceed with the cull. Five traps were set up and conservation officers also placed trail cams with night vision capabilities to watch the traps in the event of vandalism. A resident observed a trap
being vandalized on Feb. 27 at 1: 30 a.m. and called conservation officers, who eventually located an individual running alongside the road who was carrying a sack over his shoulder and dressed in black with balaclava covering his face. After disappearing, COs observed a black-dressed figure getting into a yellow car and failed to stop it after attempting to block the road. Police received a description and license plate infor-
mation and located the vehicle. The sack, which was filled with clover trap netting and knives, was found buried in the woods after a track from Police Dog Services. Crown submitted photographic evidence from the trail camera, along with receipts of costs incurred by the City of Kimberley for the damaged traps. Social media posts by Kazakoff on a deer cull in Oak Bay and other media reports were also submitted as evidence.