On June 1, 2023, shortly before 8:00 pm, police responded to a report of a male who attempted to leave without paying for his meal from a restaurant in the 1200 block of 18th street.  The 33-year-old male left out the emergency exit, but was arrested nearby.  He was later released to appear in court on July 27, 2023 on a charge of Fraudulently Obtaining Food.

On May 30, 2023 shortly before midnight, police received a report of an 11-year-old female who had been sexually assaulted by a 20-year-old male at his residence.  The victim and the suspect are known to one another. On May 31, 2023, shortly after 2:00 am, the suspect was arrested and lodged at Brandon Police Service. Members of BPS Major Crime Unit continued to investigate and obtained a warrant to search the suspect’s home at approximately 11:30 am. On May 31, 2023, the suspect appeared in court and was remanded in custody on charges of Invitation to Sexual Touching, Sexual Interference, Sexual Assault, and Fail to Comply with Release Order.

From today's media release: On May 30, 2023, I submitted my retirement notice to the Brandon Police Board.  My last day in office as Chief of Police will be June 23rd, 2023. The decision to retire did not come easy for me as I enjoy every day that I serve our community.  I have been a resident of Brandon for 51 years and have been a police officer in our great city for almost 33 years, the last six as Chief of Police.  It has been an immense honor and a privilege to serve my city and my great fortune to lead the police service in the capacity of Chief. I retire knowing that Brandon is in great hands with an outstanding police service continuing to be committed to community safety with employees who hold strong our values of professionalism, respect and integrity. I would like to thank the Brandon Police Board for the opportunity to lead the Brandon Police Service and to recognize the tremendous support that I have received from the Board, City Council, my Executive Team, and all employees at the Brandon Police Service / City Of Brandon.  Most importantly, thank you to my wife Sharlene our children and all our family for the tremendous support throughout my career.  I have been blessed. To the citizens of Brandon, thank you!  You will never know nor understand just how much your encouragement and support for the women and men of the Brandon Police Service means to us. Stay well and stay safe! Wayne Balcaen Chief of Police Brandon Police Service

On May 30, 2023, at 9:30 pm, police responded to a report of a disturbance at a residence after witnesses reported seeing a male assault a female.  Investigation into the incident led police to arrest a 21-year-old male and lodge him at Brandon Police Service to appear in court today on charges of Assault, Assault by Choking, Uttering Threats and Fail to Comply with Release Order X4.  The adult female victim suffered minor injuries, and was treated at the hospital.

On May 29, 2023, police received a report of a Fraud Attempt.  The complainant advises they received two phone calls from a number, which appeared to be the Brandon Police Service non-emergency line (204-729-2345).  When the complainant answered, there was no response on the line.  The complainant then received a phone call from a number, which appeared to be their spouse’s phone number.  During this phone call, a person claiming to be a police officer told them that their spouse was in police custody and required bail money.  The caller directed the complainant to withdraw $5000 after calling them a cab to take them to their bank.  The complaint was directed to take the cab to another location and deposit the money into a Bitcoin ATM.  The complainant did not do this, and instead brought the money to Brandon Police Service, where they learned the phone calls were a part of an elaborate scam. If you receive phone calls like this: HANG UP and call the number to your local police. BE AWARE, fraudsters have the ability to spoof any phone number. Brandon Police Service does not accept any money for persons requiring bail. You will never be asked to deposit money into an ATM for someone requiring bail. While this is similar to the Grandparent Scam, victims of any age can be targeted. For more information on Frauds, please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm