Calgary police lay hate crime charges for voicemail threats

Calgary police have charged a man for making hate-motivated threats to an Islamic Community Centre in October.

Investigators say on Sunday, Oct. 29, the Islamic Centre of Calgary on 14 Avenue SW reported receiving a “concerning” voicemail message.

Police say a man has made several threatening and Islamophobic comments before hanging up.

Gregory Duchscher, 59, has been charged with one count of uttering threats, with hate motivation added as an aggravating factor.

He’s set to appear in court on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.

“Threats, whether in-person, online or over a phone have lasting impact on not only the victim, but entire communities,” Insp. Keith Hurley said in a statement. “Our investigators did an excellent job to find this individual and we want to reassure Calgarians that we take these incidents very seriously and will continue to investigate until we find those accountable.”