CTV Calgary News – by Colleen Schmdit
Police in High River entered dozens of homes during the floods to ensure people and property were safe but some say their actions were inappropriate and an invasion of privacy.
Glenys Russell is still fixing the damage done to her house during the flood but she’s not focused on the water anymore.
She just spent $3000 on a new door to replace the one police officers kicked in during the evacuation.
‘They had absolutely no reason to come into my house whatsoever,” said Russell. “That was one thing that wasn’t an act of God, it was just an act of violence.”
RCMP officers went into hundreds of vacant homes while High River was underwater.
Police say it was necessary to make sure nobody was still stranded and that there weren’t exposed wires or other potential dangers.
They are being accused of using the opportunity to seize legally registered guns and forcing their way into homes
“This didn’t happen in Calgary. This didn’t happen in Medicine Hat. This didn’t happen in Canmore. They didn’t have the RCMP acting on its own to knock down people’s doors,” said Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith.
Smith says she’s especially concerned because of a letter sent by the RCMP to her party, justifying their actions.
In the letter, an official says officers did what they felt was necessary but “did not take operational direction from any elected officials or public service employees to enter in private homes”
“My view is if the RCMP acted on their own without direction from anyone, then they should pay the price and even if the RCMP believes it should be someone else, then it’s up to the province to pay, the province contracts the RCMP to police our province,” said Smith.
Russell still has the letter from police saying the cost to fix the damage they caused would be covered and she submitted the bill two months ago but is still waiting.
She says she still can’t believe the damage they caused to homes here.
“Someone should have stood up and said this was crap and we should’ve been made aware of what was going on well before. I’m amazed that not one police officer and not one military person didn’t stand up and say this is wrong we are not doing this,” said Russell.
The RCMP is conducting an internal investigation into the accusations.
(With files from Chris Epp)
Sent to us by a reader.
“She just spent $3000 on a new door..”
Wow…someone got robbed.
Not one police officer not one soldier stood up to say this is wrong, that is what they are counting on to disarm people.