Arrested Development

I am not making this up.

The RCMP got called in by the Alberta Energy Co. to try to put an end to sabotage of its gas and oil wells in Northern Alberta. 

Now, first of all, you must be aware of the fact that these wells stink mightily and emit noxious fumes over a large area.  People live in this area.  But when the police were called in to put an end to the noxious fumes, they did nothing.  You see, clean air doesn't make a profit.

Then some of the citizens of this region took matters into their own hands.  They began to commit acts of vandalism, damaging the wells and drilling equipment owned by the Alberta Energy Co.  The Alberta Energy Co. then called the police.  They were there lickety-spit. 

So, there you go.  The Alberta Energy Co.   damaged the environment and possibly the health of a large number of farmers, and the police shrugged and ignored the problem.  The farmers damage some equipment, and before you can say "Dudley Dooright", they are out there doing an investigation.

They tried and tried to find the culprits but they could not.  However, they did happen to know that this farmer named Wiebo Ludwig (isn't that a great name?) and his friend Richard Boonstra  had been loudly complaining about the pollution from the wells for many years.  So they arrested him.  So not only did the police not enforce the law protecting the environment and people's health, but they tried to punish the victims.

Unfortunately for the RCMP, the courts in Canada still do require evidence occasionally and they had none.  Worse than that, they discovered that nobody would testify against the two men.  So they had to release them.  I must congratulate the police on their integrity here.  Standard procedure, it sometimes seems, is to lock the suspect into the same cell as an informant serving a long sentence for something or another.  Then you offer the informant an early release if he happens to overhear the suspect confessing in full to his crime.

Well they adopted the next best solution.  They would blow up one of the wells themselves.  Then they would report that the saboteurs were more dangerous than they had originally thought.   Won't you fink on them now?

How surprised they must be at the uproar.  They are so surprised that they pretty well 'fessed up right away.  We didn't think you'd mind.   At least we didn't strip search anybody.  And we didn't actually charge the suspect with blowing up the well that we blew up.

Technicalities.  Support your local constabulary.   And all those people in Elmira complaining about the pollution from Uniroyal.... watch your step!

Copyright © 1999 Bill Van Dyk  All rights reserved.