Joint police operation touts arrests, weapons seizures

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Police agencies targeted “prolific offenders” in rural Manitoba over five days last month, making multiple arrests and seizing 13 firearms as well as machetes, knives and batons.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/12/2022 (753 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Police agencies targeted “prolific offenders” in rural Manitoba over five days last month, making multiple arrests and seizing 13 firearms as well as machetes, knives and batons.

The RCMP strategic enforcement response team worked Nov. 21-25 with the Brandon Police Service and Manitoba First Nation Police Service deployed in the Central Plains area (between Winnipeg and Brandon), RCMP and other law enforcement officials told reporters Monday.

The goal was to reduce violent crime in communities by identifying targets through police intelligence and crime statistics, and then targeting those areas and prolific offenders, police said.

RCMP, the Brandon Police Service and Manitoba First Nation Police Service served seven Criminal Code search warrants for firearms, weapons, illegal drugs and stolen property. (RCMP handout)

RCMP, the Brandon Police Service and Manitoba First Nation Police Service served seven Criminal Code search warrants for firearms, weapons, illegal drugs and stolen property. (RCMP handout)

Supt. Rob Lasson, who leads the Manitoba RCMP major crimes unit, said the suspects were driving crime in the area.

“The biggest thing when we look at prolific offenders is the repeat offences, someone who is continually in-and-out of police custody, that needs continued monitoring by police and police action… to hold them in custody, because if we don’t quite frankly they’re causing havoc in the community,” he told reporters.

Police have not publicly identified the people arrested, as not all of the charges have been formally laid in court.

Seven Criminal Code search warrants were executed for firearms, weapons, illegal drugs and stolen property. The warrants were executed at Sandy Bay First Nation, Dakota Tipi First Nation and in and around Portage la Prairie.

Thirteen arrest warrants were executed. Three suspects were found in breach of their release conditions and were charged. “Four of the top five most prolific offenders, identified by criminal analysts, were charged,” the release said.

In total, 36 new charges were laid, including possession for the purpose of trafficking, breaching release orders, possession of stolen property, and weapons offences.

Items seized included 13 firearms and 22 other weapons (including machetes, knives, brass knuckles and batons), more than two ounces of methamphetamine, an ATV, dirt bike and an undefined vehicle.

The firearms seized included shotguns, hunting rifles and muzzleloader rifles, as well as a homemade pistol.

Insp. Paul Peddle, officer in charge of the Central Plains area out of the Portage RCMP detachment, said police are working to determine if any of the guns were stolen.

Peddle said getting drugs and guns off the street will make the central Manitoba city safer.

Items seized included 13 firearms and 22 other weapons. (RCMP handout)

Items seized included 13 firearms and 22 other weapons. (RCMP handout)

“Portage is an extremely busy posting, located between Winnipeg and Brandon, and we take about 13,000 to 16,000 calls a year for service, so I know this will have a positive impact on the communities we serve.”

More strategic enforcement deployments are being planned, police said.

Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen, who attended the RCMP news conference, said the bust was evidence of the issue of repeat offenders and the need for law enforcement agencies to work together.

“We’ve always known that repeat offenders are causing a significant part of the crime that we see in Manitoba,” said Goertzen. “Working together has huge results.”

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera

Erik Pindera

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera reports for the city desk, with a particular focus on crime and justice.

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