Albertans are cowboys and cowgirls but this is not the wild west.
That is a fact we had all best remember, lest we find ourselves facing criminal charges of our own for taking the law into our own hands.
Property crimes and vehicle thefts are an issue in all rural municipalities across the province, not just in our own backyard and the RCMP is having a difficult time staffing the more than 250 vacancies in its rural detachments.
In addition, Community Peace Officers hired by the County of Barrhead have a lot of ground to cover, not only in our municipality, but in the adjoining municipalities they serve as well.
What separates regular, law-abiding citizens from criminals is our adherence to the law and our faith that justice will be served but we all have to remember that in this country, a person is innocent until proven guilty.
The justice system needs work, we all know that.
However, our residents need to be aware that we do not have castle law in place and never have.
A castle doctrine, also known as a castle law or a defense of habitation law, is a legal doctrine that is defined as designating a person’s abode or any legally occupied place — a vehicle, home, et cetera, as a place in which that person has protections and immunities with respect to the use of force, up to and including deadly force, to defend oneself against an intruder, free from legal persecution for the consequences.
This term is most commonly used in the United States, although many other countries throughout the world use similar approaches in their own laws.
That being said, in Canada we have the right to use force that is equal to the threat against ourselves, but only, as Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds has said on a number of occasions, while the threat exists.
Should a break-and-enter occur or you catch someone in the act of stealing your vehicle, garden shears or gas cans and you are able to drive off the perpetrator, you cannot shoot them in the back.
A few of the staff at the Barrhead Leader live outside of town and indeed, we all understand the fears and concerns, the frustrations of our readers.
We all agree that something needs to change.
However, we also believe it is necessary to state the obvious one more time.
You cannot take the law into your own hands.
As Community Peace Officer Dallas Choma and the County of Barrhead, as well as the members of the Rural Crime Watch Association themselves urge you, join the association and help make a difference.
Twenty dollars a year is not much when you consider the consequences facing you in taking the law into your own hands.
Speak to your councillors, reach out to the RCMP or any member of the association.
