Threatening voicemail leads to charges against Calgary man

Calgary police say charges have been laid against a man they say made several threatening statements to staff at a local Islamic community centre.

On Oct. 29, the Islamic Centre of Calgary contacted police about "a concerning message left on their voicemail" from a male caller.

Officials say the man made a number of threats and Islamophobic comments before hanging up.

An investigation led police to arrest and charge 59-year-old Gregory Duchscher in connection with the incident. He faces one count of uttering threats, with hate motivation being an aggravating factor.

Police say they take all forms of threats seriously.

"Threats, whether in-person, online or over a phone have lasting impact on not only the victim, but entire communities," said Insp. Keith Hurley of the Calgary Police Service in a statement.

Anyone who witnesses a hate-motivated crime is encouraged to report it to authorities by going online. Such crimes, as well as any other serious incidents, can also be reported directly to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, going online or accessing P3 Tips app from any smartphone.