Pillars of the Force
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Murray Duncan Klatt

Home Town: Westbourne, Manitoba

Training Division: Depot

Troop: TR. 18 1973/74

Regimental Number: 30907

 

Divisions Served: “F”

Medals & Honours: St. John Ambulance Life Saving Award, Community Recognition Award (City of Melfort), Long Service Medal, 25 Year Bronze Star, Saskatchewan Safety Council Traffic Safety Award, Life Membership Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers, Saskatchewan Protective Services Medal, RCMP 30 Year Silver Bar, Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, Life Member of RCMP Veteran’s Association

Pillar Location: Pillar X, Row 10, Column B

 

Story: 

First Posting: Fort Qu’Appelle Detachment – May 1974 to February 1975
Highlights:

  • Arrested a fellow for impaired driving one evening;
  • Later learned he had just broken into an Audio shop and was also unlawfully at large from the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre.

Second Posting: Onion Lake First Nations Detachment Feb 1975 to June 1975

Third Posting: Pierceland Detachment June 1975 to June 1975

Fourth Posting: Onion Lake First Nations Detachment July 1975 to September 1976
Highlights:

  • Acting in-charge for almost 6 weeks with 2 years field service and 3 members.
  • Worked my first Sun Dance and Pow-Wow.
  • Worked the 100th Anniversary of the signing of Treaty #6 Traditional Games held in Onion Lake in August 1976.
  • Represented the Force in review Order #1 during the Elder’s Pipe Ceremony at the Fort Pitt Historical site, on opening day and at the flag raising Ceremony, every morning, at the Onion Lake Pow-Wow Grounds.

 Note:  The Union Jack raised at the original signing of Treaty #6 in 1876, was flown again, at the 100th Anniversary Games.

Fifth Posting: Weyburn Highway Patrol September 1976 to October 1979
Worked under Cst. Ole Larsen on Patrol (Larsen, who became one of my best friends, was shot in Climax, Saskatchewan in August 1983 – he was one of the best policemen with whom I worked during my 30 year career.)
Highlights:

  • On-Scene Accident Investigator’s Course
  • Breathalyzer Course
  • Got information and made 2 separate seizures of 7 pounds of marihuana, each.
  • With Greg Bobbitt, a local lawyer, revived a defunct Troop of the Boy Scouts.
  • Laid two separate charges of loaded firearm/shooting from motor vehicle
  • Married Shereen Anne Brady on August 6, 1977
  • Advanced Collision Analysis – Evanston, Illinois – April 1979
  • Birth of daughter, Shayleen Rayanne on June 13, 1979

Sixth Posting: Southey Detachment – October 1976 to August 1979
Highlights:

  • St. John Ambulance Life Saving Award for saving the victim of a brain stem stroke.
  • Arrested a lone male who had robbed the Nokomis Credit Union, about 2 hours after the robbery, recovering all the stolen cash.
  • With Cst. Rick Bourgoin, became Firearm Safety Course Instructors and taught Firearm Safety Courses in Southey and the Piapot First Nation.
  • Arranged and coordinated the first High School Car Rally for Grade 12 students.
  • Birth of son, Nathan Edward on October 18, 1982.
  • Sudden death of my best friend and next door neighbor, Richard Bourgoin, while on duty pursuing a suspect in a Break and Enter – he, also, was one of the best policemen with whom I worked during my 30 year career.

Seventh Posting: Melfort Municipal Detachment August 1984 to July 1990
Highlights:

  • Very involved in the AWARE Course for Grade 6 students:

Making Winners out of potential Losers.

  • 22 months as Court Liaison Collision Dynamics Reconstruction Course 1988
  • Instrumental in arresting an adult male in Naicam, Saskatchewan for First degree Murder with Cst. Patrick Laybolt and Cst. Ian Morris.
  • Was a Boy Scout Beaver Leader for 3 years
  • Supervised the Melfort School Safety Patrollers for 5 years and in 1985 Chaperoned the CAA Saskatchewan School Safety Patrollers to the National School Safety Patrol Jamboree in Ottawa, Ont.  In Review Order #1 and with Chief Nick Baker, Chief of Dalmeny Town Police, led 6000 Safety Patrollers, from across Canada, in a Parade past the Parliament Buildings.
  • Presented ‘Hug-a-tree And Survive’ to 27 groups of youth.

Eighth Posting: Regina Detachment (Promoted to Cpl.) July 1990 to September 1991.

Highlights:

  • Got my first taste of supervising

Ninth Posting: Criminal Operations – Provincial Reviewer September 1991 to November 1995
Highlights:

  • Joined Division Search and Rescue in 1991
  • Re-wrote the Level II Accident Investigator’s Course while working a strike at the Paul Dojack Youth Centre.
  • Worked a number of situations on the SAR team as the Soft-Hat Arrest Team with the Tactical Troop.
  • Authored ‘Search and Rescue Training Course for Volunteers’ after the Ashley Krestianson Search in 1994 and taught it in 12 Saskatchewan communities.

Tenth Posting: Traffic Collision Analyst Position (promoted to Sgt. On April 1, 1996) November 1995 to January 30, 2003
Highlights:

  • Authored job description for the new Senior Analyst position.
  • June 1997 traveled with S/Sgt, Cliff Burnett, Traffic Supervisor, to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrator’s Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

in a 1998 RCMP Camero. 

  • Represented “F” Division at numerous National meetings of Collision Reconstructionists.
  • Represented “F” Division at number of Search and Rescue National meetings.
  • Attended about 450 fatal crashes, 850 serious injury crashes and 1200 property damage crashes during my service with the RCMP.
  • Managed a successful search for a 3 year old boy, South of Bethune, Saskatchewan in May 1998. He went missing at about 18:00 hours and was found at about 04:25 the next morning. Several hundred volunteers and heavy rains hampered the search.
  • Search and Rescue Coordinator for ’F’ Division in 2002 till 2003.
  • Was made the first Life Member of Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers in 2002.
  • Participated in the Drug Awareness Program ‘Racing Against Drugs’ 16 times.

Eleventh and Last Posting: Lumsden Detachment – January 30, 2003 to January 21, 2004.
Highlights:

  • Was the NCO in-charge.
  • Worked with some wonderful members.
  • Beautiful community.

Retired on January 22, 2004 after 30 years 104 days. 30+ years was a great experience with many wonderful memories and cherished friendships.

Post Retirement 2004 – 2020

  • Created Collision Connections – Sole Proprietorship – involving Traffic Collision Reconstruction and related training – November 2003
  • Quality Control at Violent Crime Link Analysis with the RCMP in June 2005 – 2008
  • Created Collision Connections & Security Inc. including Collision Reconstruction and Private Investigator and Security Guard on May 01, 2006.
  • Employed and Managed 102 Private Security at Craven Country Jamboree, Craven, Sask. July 9 – 17, 2006
  • Employed and managed 20-person security in dressing room alley and 30 more security guards on-stage for the two Rolling Stones concerts in Regina, Sask., 2006.
  • Employed and managed Private Security at Craven Country Jamboree, Craven, Sask. July 8 – 16, 2007
  • Conducted RCMP Security Clearance investigations for RCMP, June 2008 – 2010
  • Conducted manufacturer’s defect investigations for General Motors of Canada in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in October 2008 to October 2017.
  • Supervised 40 Security Guards at the Eagles Concert at Mosaic Stadium for GardaWorld Protective Services in 2018.
  • Supervised 40 Security Guards at Roughrider Football games for GardaWorld Protective Services for the 2018 CFL Football season.
  • Appointed by the Government of Saskatchewan to the Highway Traffic Board as a Hearings Officer in Oct 2017 to 2020

Between 2006 and 2014 taught 33 Private Investigators and Security Guard Courses.

Qualified as an Expert Witness in Traffic Collision Reconstruction. (110 times).

  • Note: Combined times as a member of the RCMP (91) and as a private consultant (19).

Volunteer Involvement         

  Co-Chair of volunteer Security at the:

  • 2006 Brier in Regina (125 volunteers at 25 stations and 700 shifts)
  • 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina (125 volunteers-25 stations-700 shifts)
  • 2011 Women’s World Curling Championship, Swift Current (75 volunteers-18 stations-500 shifts)
  • 2012 Men’s World Curling Championship, Regina. (125 volunteers-25 stations-700 shifts)
  • 2018 CP Ladies PGA Golf Tournament in Regina (18 on Course security and 55 Bag Security and Ground Security filling 338 shifts)

  Chair-person of volunteer Security at the:

  • 2009 Canada Cup of Curling in Moose Jaw (75 volunteers -18 stations – 500 shifts)
  • 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Moose Jaw (75 volunteers 18 stations – 500 shifts)

Director on the RCMP Heritage Centre Board representing the Friends of the Mounted Police   Museum 2013 – 2020

  • Chair of the Governance Committee      

  Director on the Friends of the Mounted Police Museum Board 2013 – 2020

  • Editor of the Friendly Notes Newsletter 2014 – 2020   

  Director: Tuscany Way Condo Association 2010 – 2014 and 2016 – 2020   

  Regina Division RCMP Veterans’ Association:

  • Joined RCMP Veterans’ Association, Regina division 2004.
  • Elected 2ndP in 2007, 1st – V.P. in 2008, President in 2009, Past Pres. in 2011 Director from 2012 – 2016.
  • President of Regina Vets: hosted National RCMP Veteran’s AGM in Regina 2009.
  • Represented Regina Vets at National RCMP Veteran’s AGM in St. John’s, Nfld. 2010.
  • Chairperson: Salvation Army Kettles Program for Regina Vets 2015 – 2020
  • Chairperson & M/C: Vets & Conservation Officers Annual Game Dinner 2012-2020
  • Representative: Lethbridge/Medicine Hat, Regina interagency group 2017 – 2020.
  • Representative on the Candle-Light dinner committee – 2014-2020.
  • Awarded Lifetime Membership in Regina RCMP Vet’s Association 2018.
  • Awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteer’s in 2018.
  • Participated in constructing two Habitat for Humanity homes in Regina.