Cochrane RCMP has been kept busy this past week.

Two separate incidents occurred on September 3rd which has led to two people facing the Provincial Court system in the next short while.

In an effort to combat property theft, Cochrane RCMP has been deploying bait vehicles in high theft areas in and around the Cochrane area.

Cochrane RCMP, Constable Kary Moore, says the unidentified vehicles help them gather information, identify hot spots, target repeat offenders, and help disrupt criminal activity. "It's a vehicle that we know where it's parked and geared up with equipment so that we know when it was stolen and then able to do what we do...follow it, stop it, or do what is required."

On Monday morning while one of the bait vehicles was deployed, RCMP received notice that the car was on the move. "At approximately 8:30 am, the Cochrane RCMP were notified that one of the RCMP GPS traceable bait units had been stolen. Cochrane RCMP followed the bait unit to a rural location in Rocky View County, near Strathmore, where one male was arrested a short time later."

While bait units aren't used constantly Cst. Moore was happy to see the method working. "We use it on and off, the vehicles haven't constantly been here, we switch them out using different vehicles and methods."

One adult male will appear in front of Strathmore Provincial Court on October 2nd. 

Later that evening, Cochrane RCMP was also able to take an impaired driver off the road after a lady sideswiped a parked RCMP cruiser.

Lorna Shackelly, 55 years old of Calgary, will be in Cochrane Court on October 16th after she apparently did not notice the flashing lights parked on the side of the road. 

Constable Moore, says at approximately 10:30 pm an officer was conducting a traffic stop on Highway 1 just east of Highway 22 when his police cruiser was sideswiped by another eastbound vehicle. "The offending sideswiping vehicle stopped about 50 metres further east on Highway 1. The officer was not injured and the police vehicle did sustain minor damage. Lorna Shackelly has been charged with impaired driving of a motor vehicle and driving a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol level over .08."

The driver/vehicle that was stopped in the traffic stop was not affected in the incident. 

Shackelly also did not have insurance on the vehicle and faces charges for that as well.