Red Deer RCMP arrested six people, executed outstanding warrants involving 42 Criminal Code charges and laid eight new charges on three people in a four-day covert stolen vehicle operation at the beginning of the month that recovered eight stolen vehicles.
The covert operation took place from Feb. 28th through March 3rd in Red Deer and involved police officers from the Red Deer RCMP Crime Reduction Team (CRT), GIS and general duty, the RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT), and Police Dog Services. Covert strategies were used to avoid the public safety risks created by criminals driving dangerously or ramming police vehicles in their efforts to avoid arrest.
“This is the second covert stolen vehicle operation we’ve done in Red Deer, and we’re pleased with the success of it, and with the ongoing message we’re sending to habitual offenders,” said Inspector Gerald Grobmeier of the Red Deer RCMP. “Red Deer RCMP are using a variety of crime reduction strategies to target vehicle thefts and property crime and the handful of repeat offenders who are responsible for most of it.”
Arrests and charges during the operation include:
A 29-year-old man was arrested on numerous outstanding warrants involving 35 charges, including multiple charges for use of a stolen credit card, break and enter, theft of vehicle, a number of fraud charges, and multiple charges for failing to comply with conditions and breaching his probation. Schuster now faces three new charges of failing to comply with probation after RCMP located him in a vehicle not his own, in violation of his probation. Schuster was arrested after attempting to flee police on foot.
A 35-year-old man was arrested when the Crime Reduction Team located him in a high crime area in a stolen van. He faces charges of possession of stolen property over $5,000, failing to comply with conditions and resisting/ obstructing a peace officer. The van had been reported stolen out of Red Deer after it was left running and unlocked.
A 48-year-old Kevin John Brown was arrested in a parked stolen truck and is charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000 and failing to comply with conditions.
A 19-year-old man was arrested on outstanding warrants for break and enter, theft and failing to comply with conditions.
A 44-year-old woman was arrested on outstanding warrants for theft and break and enter with regard to an August file out of the Bashaw area.
