In the last week, Rimbey RCMP responded to 46 calls for service.
These files include but are not limited to two mischief and damage to property complaints, three thefts of property, four suspicious persons, and two break-ins.
RCMP also received a call about an abandoned semi-truck along 45 Ave. that had been left there for around three to four days. When the officers arrived it was found to be stolen. The truck was towed and the registered owner was notified that their vehicle had been found.
RCMP is also reminding those heading out to parties and BBQ’s to not consume any liquor or drugs prior to driving or operating watercraft or ATV’s.
With the new laws in place, police can perform a mandatory alcohol screening (MAS), on everyone they pull over. So even if they don’t initially pull you over for drinking, they will most likely perform a MAS.
Penalties for driving impaired:
• Blowing a caution (equal to or exceeding 50 milligrams in the blood), the fine for the first occurrence is $300, the second occurrence is $600 and the third or subsequent occurrence is $1,200.
• Blowing a fail (equal to or exceeding 80 milligrams in the blood): the first occurrence is a fine of $1,000, the second occurrence is $2,000 and the third or subsequent occurrence is $2,000.
Along with the penalties your vehicle will be towed and you will lose your licence for a designated amount of time. You will be billed the tow and the impound fees that will continue to accumulate while your vehicle sits in the impound lot.
The only way your vehicle can be claimed is if the registered owner goes and shows a valid driver’s licence, registration and insurance. A driver will not have a valid driver’s license if it has been suspended due to driving impaired and will have to wait until the suspension is over to claim your vehicle and get it out of impound. The designated suspension gets longer each time you recommit.
RCMP also want to remind everyone to follow the laws in regards to travelling with alcohol and marijuana. The best saying to stick by is, “keep your skunk in the trunk.”
They say the same goes for alcohol.
It is a ticket-able offence if a passenger is drinking or has an open alcoholic drink in the vehicle as this is also considered to be in reach of the driver. Travelling with an alcoholic beverage that is out of its original packaging is considered driving with an open drink. For example, opening up your six-pack and putting them into a cooler would be considered opening your alcohol.
In some cases, a driver cannot place their alcohol or other legal substance in the trunk as they have a pick-up truck. In this case, drivers are asked to make it provably difficult for the driver to reach. For instance, keep the alcohol in its original packaging and place it inside a locked or buckled cooler.