Leader staff
If you were wondering how busy your Slave Lake RCMP were in the month of July, we have the answer. The detachment responded to 459 calls for service.
According to a news release from the detachment sent out on Aug. 11, these included 44 reports of causing a disturbance or mischief. Thirty-one of the calls were to 911. Seven were false alarms. Eighteen others were about assaults, and 19 calls reported suspicious people, or vehicles. Nine of the calls had to do with somebody’s mental health.
Rental scams
RCMP has been hearing stories about rental rip-offs and has some tips on it. Most vacation rentals are legitimate, says the news release, but there has been a rise in scams, “where fraudsters post fake listings, steal photos from real properties, or request deposits through insecure payment methods, only for renters to discover the property doesn’t exist or wasn’t available.”
One way to avoid this is to use reputable businesses. If a rental listing seems too good to be true, it probably is!
Communicate through the booking platform only. If someone tries to take the conversation offline (e.g. via text or personal email), that’s a red flag.
Confirm the address and property details independently—use Google Street View or reverse image searches to verify it’s real.
Read the reviews carefully. A lack of reviews or only recent five-star ones could be a sign of a fake listing.
Once you arrive, the following are good things to do:
Inspect the space upon arrival and report anything unsafe or unexpected to the platform immediately.
Let a friend or family member know where you’re staying, especially if you’re travelling alone or to a remote area.
Follow local laws and bylaws during your stay, including those related to noise, fire safety, and gatherings.
If you believe you’ve been the victim of a rental scam, report it to your local RCMP detachment and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or 1-888-495-8501.
Coffee with a Cop
Aug. 27 in Smith is the next in a series of community get-togethers with a police officer or officers. Residents have a chance to discuss law enforcement issues and so on. This one is in Smith, at Smith Pizza and Donair, at 10 a.m.
Otherwise, the local RCMP welcomes questions by email. It’s KSLAVELAKEDET@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
“During each monthly police brief, members of the detachment will answer a few of the questions asked or provide education on a topic identified by the community. We look forward to hearing from you.”