Police continue to hunt for high risk offender
Hunting “predatory and opportunistic” ex-convict Curtis Dale Hill just hours after his release is frustrating, say police who are determined to reel him in.
“It’s frustrating but this is what our unit does,” High Risk Offender Program Sgt. Gene Newcombe said Saturday.
“We can only be in so many places at once.”
When returned to custody police plan to oppose his release.
Hill, said Newcombe, has a history of violently preying on people and his freedom brings with it a warning to Calgarians.
“We want the public to be aware of this individual, he is dangerous,” said Newcombe
Within hours of Hill agreeing to strict conditions in a city courtroom on Friday, he was literally running from police.
Earlier on Friday, Hill was ordered to spend the next two years under the watchful eyes of HROP — to adhere to a peace bond with strict conditions including a curfew and orders he not leave Calgary unless getting prior written approval from a HROP officer.
Despite it being “a very powerful peace bond,” Hill chose not to comply, Newcombe said.
“He has many conditions he has to abide by, in particular that night he had a 10 o’clock curfew at an approved residence, he neither went to an approved residence nor abided by his curfew,” he said.
Knowing the 30-year-old has ties in Edmonton, police went to the Greyhound bus station on Friday thinking he might be leaving Calgary, obviously breaching his conditions.
They were right.
“He was there waiting for a bus and engaged us in a foot pursuit and got away,” Newcombe said.
Hill was last seen running east and back into the downtown core.
That led to two arrest warrants being issued, a Canada-wide warrant being put out and police concerns for public safety posed by the high-risk offender.
“To me, there is an obvious disregard for the court order he was placed upon,” Newcombe said.
“No attempt was made to abide by these conditions.”
While police city-wide are on the look-out for Hill they urge anyone who might spot Hill to call 911.
Hill, who has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for armed robbery, break-and-enter and uttering threats, was released from the Calgary Remand Centre on Friday.
He was released from prison in Edmonton late last year and deemed to pose an ongoing danger to re-offend.
The man had completed a 10-year term for armed robbery break and enter, attempting to escape and assaulting police.
This marks the second time he has gone on the lam.
He was arrested by Edmonton police on Jan. 11 for violating conditions and has been in custody until this week.
“He was put on those orders and chose to disobey them,” Newcombe said.
“Whether he stays in Calgary or leaves, the concerns are the same, he has a history of extreme violence.
“The actions of Mr. Hill do not come as a surprise to anyone of us in the unit.”
Justice critic slams high risk offender's release
High-risk offenders like Curtis Dale Hill who skipped out on police hours after his release shouldn’t have been let out of jail in the first place, says a justice advocate.
Former Calgary Tory MP Art Hanger said the resources to monitor ex-convicts like Hill, released from jail Friday only to breach his conditions and evade police hours later, can only go so far.
“I don’t think high-risk offenders should be on the loose. Period,” he said. “I think they should be kept under lock and key.”
On Friday, police issued a warning about the release of Hill, 30, who has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for armed robbery, break-and-enter and uttering threats.
Hanger said he believes technological monitoring such as ankle bracelets aren’t the solution.
Instead they should be designated as habitual criminals, he said.
“If they have the resources to monitor these characters through wearing bracelets and tracking devices then great,” he said.
“But we’re talking about a huge manpower to do it — who is going to do it?
“Yes it may work to some degree, but I think these habitual offenders shouldn’t be released at all.”
When Hill is caught, police plan to oppose his release.
Released ex-con wanted again
Hunting “predatory and opportunistic” ex-convict Curtis Dale Hill just hours after his release is frustrating, say police who are determined to reel him in.
“It’s frustrating but this is what our unit does,” High Risk Offender Program Sgt. Gene Newcombe said Saturday.
“We can only be in so many places at once.”
When returned to custody police plan to oppose his release.
Hill, said Newcombe, has a history of violently preying on people and his freedom brings with it a warning to Calgarians.
“We want the public to be aware of this individual, he is dangerous,” said Newcombe
Within hours of Hill agreeing to strict conditions in a city courtroom on Friday, he was literally running from police.
Earlier on Friday, Hill was ordered to spend the next two years under the watchful eyes of HROP — to adhere to a peace bond with strict conditions including a curfew and orders he not leave Calgary unless getting prior written approval from a HROP officer.
Despite it being “a very powerful peace bond,” Hill chose not to comply, Newcombe said.
“He has many conditions he has to abide by, in particular that night he had a 10 o’clock curfew at an approved residence, he neither went to an approved residence nor abided by his curfew,” he said.
Knowing the 30-year-old has ties in Edmonton, police went to the Greyhound bus station on Friday thinking he might be leaving Calgary, obviously breaching his conditions.
They were right.
“He was there waiting for a bus and engaged us in a foot pursuit and got away,” Newcombe said.
Hill was last seen running east and back into the downtown core.
That led to two arrest warrants being issued, a Canada-wide warrant being put out and police concerns for public safety posed by the high-risk offender.
“To me, there is an obvious disregard for the court order he was placed upon,” Newcombe said.
“No attempt was made to abide by these conditions.”
While police city-wide are on the look-out for Hill they urge anyone who might spot Hill to call 911.
Hill, who has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for armed robbery, break-and-enter and uttering threats, was released from the Calgary Remand Centre on Friday.
He was released from prison in Edmonton late last year and deemed to pose an ongoing danger to re-offend.
The man had completed a 10-year term for armed robbery break and enter, attempting to escape and assaulting police.
This marks the second time he has gone on the lam.
He was arrested by Edmonton police on Jan. 11 for violating conditions and has been in custody until this week.
“He was put on those orders and chose to disobey them,” Newcombe said.
“Whether he stays in Calgary or leaves, the concerns are the same, he has a history of extreme violence.
“The actions of Mr. Hill do not come as a surprise to anyone of us in the unit.”
Justice critic slams high risk offender's release
High-risk offenders like Curtis Dale Hill who skipped out on police hours after his release shouldn’t have been let out of jail in the first place, says a justice advocate.
Former Calgary Tory MP Art Hanger said the resources to monitor ex-convicts like Hill, released from jail Friday only to breach his conditions and evade police hours later, can only go so far.
“I don’t think high-risk offenders should be on the loose. Period,” he said. “I think they should be kept under lock and key.”
On Friday, police issued a warning about the release of Hill, 30, who has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for armed robbery, break-and-enter and uttering threats.
Hanger said he believes technological monitoring such as ankle bracelets aren’t the solution.
Instead they should be designated as habitual criminals, he said.
“If they have the resources to monitor these characters through wearing bracelets and tracking devices then great,” he said.
“But we’re talking about a huge manpower to do it — who is going to do it?
“Yes it may work to some degree, but I think these habitual offenders shouldn’t be released at all.”
When Hill is caught, police plan to oppose his release.
Released ex-con wanted again
Just hours after agreeing to two years of strict monitoring by police, a violent ex-convict released from jail is wanted back in custody for breaching his conditions.
Police are looking for Curtis Dale Hill, 30, who was released from the Calgary Remand Centre Friday after agreeing to enter into a 24-month peace bond with strict conditions on his liberty, including a nightly curfew.
He is to spend the next two years under the watchful eyes of the Calgary police High Risk Offender Program unit and not permitted to leave the Calgary area without the prior written approval of a HROP officer.
But police said Friday night Hill is wanted for breaching conditions related to his release.
Hill is 5-foot-11, about 198 lbs., has brown shaved hair, a goatee, green eyes and wears glasses.
Earlier Friday, Crown prosecutor Adam May told provincial court Judge John Reilly that Hill poses an ongoing danger to offend after he was released from prison late last year.
Hill was previously placed under strict bail conditions, including his monitoring by police, after he was released from prison in Edmonton Dec. 22, when he opposed the Crown’s application for a peace bond.
He had just completed a 10-year term for armed robbery, break and enter, attempting to escape and assaulting police.
He was arrested by Edmonton police on Jan. 11 for violating conditions.
Police advise anyone who sees Hill to call 911 and not approach him.
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