A part of crime prevention is being the eyes and ears of the police. With the New CAPTURE Program, these can be electronic eyes and ears.
The RCMP’s CAPTURE program is being launched Alberta-wide, including in the Drumheller and surrounding areas.
The CAPTURE (Community Assisted Policing Through Use of Recorded Evidence) program allows members of the public to register their home or business security cameras with the RCMP with the goal of assisting RCMP and reducing the amount of time it would take investigators to locate potential video evidence at the time of crime and investigation.
Staff Sergeant Robert Harms says it has been in place for a number of years, including in Red Deer.
“The program has been in place for some time in other communities and is being expanded Alberta-wide given a number of success stories. This is one more step towards keeping our communities safe and is another example of Community Based Policing,” he said.
As residents register their cameras, investigators are able to view a map of registered cameras in the area of an incident or crime scene and can contact the owners of the cameras.
“This is all with the idea that we can do this very quickly,” he said. “If the owner of the camera agrees, they can load it into the system, and then our officers can review it remotely,” he said.
The program is completely voluntary, and the participant isn’t compelled to hand over footage if they are not comfortable. The list of properties is confidential, and only police have access to it. No personal information is shared.
He also notes there are protocols on the police’s end. It can not be used for ‘fishing’ or non-investigative ends.
“It is all voluntary and speaks to the partnership between the police and the community, and we are hoping people will sign up. The more, the better, and the more powerful it is for us.”
It’s just another tool to help us address crime and hopefully, address it as quickly as possible.
For more information or to register go to www.ruralalbertacapture.ca

In honour and recognition of the RCMP’s 150th Anniversary, a small RCMP exhibit has been set up at the Western GM Gallery at the Badlands Community Facility.
The exhibit includes uniforms and artifacts from the eras of the North West Mounted Police, Royal North West Mounted Police, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and includes RCMP uniforms and artifacts from military service.
“We are still making some small adjustments and additions, but it is open for viewing and we are proud of it. We invite everyone to stop by and have a look at some of the things that represent our foundation, traditions, and long history of service to Canada”, said Staff Sergeant Robert Harms.
Shortly after Harms arrived at the Drumheller Detachment he was impressed by the display that was put up around Remembrance Day at the gallery and felt it would fitting to put something together for the 150th year of the RCMP. He was connected with local collector and history enthusiast Larry Coney.
Coney has been collecting military memorabilia since he was 14 and has a vast collection of RCMP uniforms, with the oldest dating back to 1873, as well as patches and medallions. His collection has rare items that demonstrate how the RMCP served, including during wartime and on the sea.
There is also a collection of images detailing some of the local history of policing in the valley, including detachment photos. There is also a corner dedicated to Charles Paris and Michael Moriarty, both of whom perished in the line of duty while serving in Drumheller.
“It’s a reminder of faces that served the community and the changes that have happened,’ said Harms. “It is important for us to honour and remember.”

Betty Manning of the Drumheller Geneology Club also contributed to the gallery with a display on police dogs. This includes photos of Robert Leard. This was Manning’s mother-in-law’s father. He came to serve with the RCMP from Prince Edward Island to Alberta in 1900. He was the only officer on duty the evening of the Frank slide. When his police contact expired, he became a miner and eventually made his way to Drumheller and was a foreman at the Rosedale Mine.
Tamara LaFrenz and her family contributed a full-scale display horse for the exhibit.
The Exhibit will be on display for July at the Badlands Community Facility, then most of it moved to the Drumheller Badlands Historical Centre at 335 1st Street East for further display to the public till the end of the year or longer.