Date: Mon Apr 14 13:28:15 2008 Subject: PA/MRU #08-216 PENBROOKE INCIDENT From: Emma Poole —–BEGIN MD5 ———————————– —————————————————————– CITYBEAT – CITY OF CALGARY PRESS RELEASE —————————————————————– The Calgary Police Service is investigating an incident that took place in Penbrooke early this morning, Monday, April 14, 2008. At approximately 2:15 a.m., police responded to a report of an injured man in the 200 block of Penbrooke Way S.E. Upon arrival, officers located a 27-year-old man who was suffering from a gunshot wound. The location of the injury will not be released for investigative reasons. The man was taken to hospital in critical condition. The CPS Major Crimes Section is investigating this shooting. Officers do not believe this incident was gang-related, but have determined it was not random. Investigators are currently interviewing several witnesses. No one is in custody in connection with this incident. Acting Staff Sgt. Ron Ho will be available to speak with the media today, Monday, April 14, 2008, at 3 p.m. This availability will take place on the third floor of the Andrew Davison Building, 133 6 Ave. S.E. RELEASED BY THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS/MEDIA RELATIONS UNIT FOR THE MAJOR CRIMES SECTION.

The above press release is nothing new, in fact it is a couple of days old, but lately I’ve been reading a lot of these types of press releases coming out of Calgary about violent crime. By tomorrow, or by the end of the week at least, I’ll be reading another press release, or, two or three about another violent crime being committed in Calgary. Sure I know violent crime happens in other cities, but at least the police forces, and city officials in those cities are making an effort when it comes to stemming crime waves. I can’t say that I can say the same about Calgary.

As most of my “more regular” blog visitors know, I lived in Calgary from 1988-1998, and that I loved it there. Calgary was a rockin’ place, the people were friendly, and there weren’t a whole lot of shitheads roaming the streets beating the f**k out of innocent people, killing innocent people, and pretty much living a life of anarchy.

Hey, the Flames even won a Stanley Cup. I remember that night so vividly-I was managing the Lord Nelson back then.

What a party that was-GO FLAMES!

Anyway when I lived there, we had the bikers who helped keep crime in check, though they were still part of the problem. The crime wasn’t as bad back then as it is now. If you don’t believe me, just ask anybody who lived in Bowness between 1988 and 199, they’ll tell you. In fact, if you doubt me, ask some the city councillors and former mayor Al Duerr. They’ll tell you the streets of Calgary were a lot safer back then than they are today.

These days crime fighting is a f**king disgrace in Calgary , and like I have said a couple of times in Crooked in Canada, a little bit of vigilantism will go along away in shutting down the criminal f**ks that I think are giving Calgary a bad name. If the Calgary Police can’t do it, somebody like Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson-remember him?) certainly can. I wonder if there are any “Paul Kerseys” living in Calgary these days.

As you can see by the number of times I used the word f**k, or a form of it so far, I’m pretty pissed off about the crime-wave that is happening in Calgary. Anybody who has lived in Calgary for 20 years or more know what I’m talking about, and I bet they’re pretty pissed off too. PWerhaps they’re even considering making a move. Why Just the other day I read somewhere that about 15,000 people are leaving the province of Alberta per year. I wonder if crime has anything do with that number.

I’m not surprised to hear that people are leaving Alberta, especially if what is happening in Calgary is anything to go by when it comes to living, in an Albertan city.

And what about Calgary’s top cop Rick Hanson, what is he doing about it, absolutely nothing in my opinion. He’s is as useless as tits on a boar hog, though I have heard he doesn’t mind spending city taxpayer’s money on golden handshakes and severance packages for his fellow officers, as was the case recently. He thinks forking over a few hundred thousand of Calgarians tax dollars to two deputy police chiefs, commissioners or whatever the hell they were when they’re positions were made redundant. He actually thinks it is good for the police as far as cost go in the long run. What an idiot.

One thing is for sure; if Chief Hanson says they (as in the police dept) can’t afford it because they don’t have enough money in the budget, you know he’s bullshitting. The police force somehow managed to come up with a few hundred thousand dollars of the Calgarian taxpayer’s money to pay severance packages for two of his cronies, and if he says they can’t afford to improve their crime-fighting tactics or tools, then he’s lying. He is a disgrace to the uniform he wears as far as I’m concerned. He’s been a cop for too long in Calgary, and he has become complacent in his role as Chief, and he’s a slack ass. Time for him to go I think.

That being said, I have had my rant about the criminal element in a city I used to love and call home. And, if I was still living in Calgary I would be raising a whole lot of shit with the mayor and his councillors (not to mention Chief Rick Hanson) for not doing a better job for Calgarians when it comes fighting crime and protecting the citizens of Calgary.

Headline: Gunshot victim found lying in middle of road