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Vol. 15, No. 13, Wednesday, February 26, 2020 www.LamontLeader.com
Fighting back against rural crime New pens securely identify stolen property, limited number available only to Rural Crime Watch members BY JANA SEMENIUK Jennifer Kee, the divisional crime prevention coordinator of Alberta,
introduced the trace pen during the Andrew Willingdon St. Michael Rural Crime Watch information evening on
Andrew Willingdon St. Michael Crime Watch vice president Al Ropchan demonstrates the new trace pens available for residents to purchase during information night on Feb 12. The pens enable users to invisibly mark their items in hopes of having those items returned should they be recovered by police after being stolen.
Feb. 12 at the St. Michael Recreation Centre. Following a presentation by Trevor Tychkowsky on preventing crime with proper environmental design, Kee explained how the trace pen works and answered questions. Kee described the trace pen as unique to the owner of the pen which can be used to invisibly mark almost any surface including jewelry. The goal is to prove that property is stolen, if it is recovered by police, and who it belongs to. “One pen can mark up to 50 pieces of property,” said Kee. “It is clear adhesive with little grains of sand in it.” Kee went on to explain that if an officer found suspicious items, he or she will be able to use a special uv light that will detect, with a blue glow, where the trace pen mark is. “Once you buy your pen, you will go online and register it to you,” she said. “Once that mark is detected on a suspicious item, the officer will be able to use a special reader on the mark which will identify a number that is specific to the pen that marked it. In the database, that number will be registered to you. That’s how it will be identified as belonging to you.” Kee added that it takes about three minutes to register your pen online and it also gives you the option to add inventory. The database that holds your information is accessible only by you and the police.
“You will have the opportunity to list, the 50 pieces of property you mark, in your online inventory,” she said. Some questions from the crowd included concerns that criminals may acquire a reader. “These readers are very expensive,” she said. “And even if they did get one, it would be of no use to them because they have no access to the database.” At the conclusion of her presentation, Kee gifted one trace pen to a young boy who had been sitting very quietly with his family during the entire evening. Seven-year-old Kai Sereda was excited to receive the gift. “In our audience we have a pretty young participant,” she said. “Because you have been sitting there so patiently and listening so well, the RCMP would like to give you your own trace pen so you can mark all of your toys and property. I want to commend you for coming out to this and I strongly encourage everyone else that if you have young people bring them out to these. This is their community too.” Al Ropchan, vice president of the Andrew Willingdon St. Michael Rural Crime Watch group, explained that for the time being the trace pens will only be available to rural crime watch members. “Everyone will be able to purchase a trace pen eventually,” said Ropchan. “but right now, we have a limited number of pens so we are only selling them to crime watch members.”
Bruderheim man gets jail time for dangerous driving causing death KERRY ANDERSON Bruderheim’s Todd Lambert was sentenced to two years less a day on Friday, after pleading guilty to killing Natalie Hawkins in a motor vehicle collision in Fort Saskatchewan on May 20, 2016. Lambert was driving a Mercedes
sedan when he crashed into the mother of two’s SUV at approximately 200 km/hr., killing her instantly. Court heard that he was having a seizure at the time of the crash. The Bruderheim man was on orders from his doctor not to drive, due to the seizures, and also had traces of mari-
juana in his system at the time of the accident. He also had two grams of marijuana in his possession. Lambert pled guilty on Nov. 27, 2018 to dangerous driving but just in January tried to have the plea withdrawn. The request was denied by Court of Queen’s Bench Justice James
Nielson, who also handed down the sentencing. Nielson, meanwhile, said he did take into consideration that Lambert attempted to plead not guilty when handing down his sentencing for dangerous driving causing death. He is banned from driving five years.