Halifax regional councillor representing Bedford-Wentworth, Jean St-Amand, has been receiving feedback from constituents regarding the police’s communication approach concerning an armed individual in the vicinity during the past weekend. St-Amand mentioned in an interview on CBC Radio’s “Information Morning” that the public and he became aware of the situation through social media posts before the official alert was issued.
On Saturday, residents in Bedford, N.S., were advised via an emergency alert to secure their homes as law enforcement conducted a search for the suspect following a shooting incident in the Annapolis Valley. Subsequently, a broader alert was disseminated 30 minutes later, leading to the apprehension of the individual identified as Ryan Alexander Cole, 36, who appeared in Digby provincial court on Monday and will remain in custody until his court date on August 25.
St-Amand expressed his intention to discuss the sequence of events on Saturday related to the emergency alert with the city’s chief administrative officer to gain insights into the coordination between the alert system and on-site responders. He speculated that instances where local awareness precedes official alerts might not be uncommon.
Authorities in the Annapolis Valley responded to a report of a woman being shot in South Farmington on Saturday. The suspect fled the scene in a damaged Mazda sedan, heading towards Halifax. The police located the suspect’s vehicle near Sunnyside Mall in Bedford, where it collided with a tree as the driver attempted to navigate through a hiking trail.
Corporal Mandy Edwards from the RCMP explained that the decision on alert locations considers various factors. An initial localized alert was issued when the suspect was believed to be on foot in the vicinity. Subsequently, a broader alert encompassing the Halifax Regional Municipality was sent out once the suspect was not found.
Edwards emphasized that alerts aim to inform the public and provide instructions as necessary, acknowledging limitations in character space for detailed descriptions. She mentioned that besides alerts, law enforcement leverages social media and traditional news releases to disseminate information effectively.