WESTLOCK – A 20-year-old Westlock man faces mischief and stunting charges, as well as the possibility of more, after police say he laid a patch of rubber across the freshly-painted Rainbow crosswalk on 106th Street.
Westlock RCMP Detachment acting commander Cpl. Riley Sutherland said that at approximately 11:54 a.m., June 30, a dark pickup truck was seen doing a burnout on the crosswalk and following tips from the public, they were able to track it to the Peavy Mart parking lot where they arrested a Town of Westlock man and charged him mischief under $5,000 and stunting under the Traffic Safety Act (Section 115(2) Sub. F).
Sutherland said the man’s first appearance in Westlock Court of Justice is Aug. 9 and they’re liaising with “specialized units” to determine whether “any other charges would be appropriate.” No name has been released.
“We were given a vehicle description and able to locate it quickly and the driver matched the description of the person at the scene,” said Sutherland in a July 6 interview.
The Rainbow crosswalk has been in the spotlight since town councillors agreed to allow R.F. Staples School’s (RFS) gay-straight alliance (GSA), the Thunder Alliance, to paint it back in May — councillors unanimously reaffirmed their support at a contentious June 12 meeting.
While organizers took precautions leading up to the June 27 event, including blocking off both ends of 106th Street at 100th and 101st Avenues, the night resembled a block party and was peaceful with no reports of violence or protestors.
Sutherland said while they aren’t watching the crosswalk continually and take all reports of vandalism seriously noting active files following damage to mailboxes, a sunscreen at the skatepark, the bathroom at Mountie Park and some garbage bins that have been set fire to, they are aware that a “small few” have been vocal in opposition.
A Pride crosswalk in Leduc was vandalized June 24, which prompted Alberta RCMP to issue a release noting “the importance of Albertans reporting any actions, language or behaviour they suspect to be a hate crime or incident to police” and that "any action that threatens the safety and security” of people would be taken “extremely seriously” and that they “will follow up on all reports and if appropriate, charges will be laid.”
The June 22 release says that a hate incident or crime are actions committed against a person or property, motivated either partly or wholly by “bias, prejudice or hate towards an identifiable group or community, as defined by real or perceived age, colour, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, or any other similar factor.” Hate-motivated actions, the release states, can range from “physical assaults or threat of violence, property damage or destruction (including graffiti with homo/bi/transphobic slurs and hate symbols), to harassment and discriminatory comments.”
“We don’t know what the specific motivation was for this vandalism. But given how contentious it is with a small few, we have been keeping an active eye on it,” said Sutherland. “So, if there is damage to it, we contact the town and make patrols to actively find those persons … but that’s the same as with any mischiefs that we deal with.”
Mayor Ralph Leriger said July 6 that they are aware of the vandalism and that police apprehended a suspect.
“The damage to the crosswalk was superficial in nature and it’s going to require a touch-up, but likely it would have needed a second coat anyways,” he said.
