ATHABASCA — Property crime and substance abuse continue to be major points of focus for Athabasca RCMP according the first quarter report.
Athabasca RCMP Detachment commander Staff Sgt. Mark Hall presented the community policing report to council at its Aug. 15 meeting, detailing the organization’s initiatives and statistics from April 1 to June 30, and explained their two-pronged approach of education and enforcement to address the problem areas. Ultimately, council accepted Hall’s report as information.
First quarter numbers show a 21 per cent increase in property crimes and are mainly driven by vehicle thefts. Hall noted the five-year trends indicate no major changes in the rate of property crime in the region.
“Property crime is still and has been an issue in all the communities that we police here in Athabasca and across the province,” said Hall. “(It’s) always an up-hill battle, but it’s something we’re looking at making some great strides with.”
In response to the increase, Hall said enforcement efforts such as analysis of heat-score maps that indicate hotspot areas for break and enters, theft over and under $5,000 and mischief charges have been successful, allowing officers to catch perpetrators and gather more information for ongoing investigations.
“We have had very good success in that area just in the short time that we’ve actually started looking at the data,” said Hall.
Tactics to better manage repeat offenders, which Hall and mayor Rob Balay indicated as problems within the community, involve Increased release checks, which see the RCMP meeting with individuals on a regular basis to ensure conditions set by the court in sentencing are being followed.
Coun. David Pacholok echoed concerns voiced by disgruntled community members frustrated at the rising rate of property crime.
“What is your recommendation to me, as a law-abiding citizen should I find somebody stealing my quad? It seems like we’re spinning our wheels no matter what happens,” said Pacholok. “I just feel for these people that are losing patience with the system.”
“At the end of the day it’s property, it’s not worth your life,” said Hall, and encouraged any frustrated residents to report all crimes and continue to follow up on ongoing investigations rather than taking action themselves.
Residents and businesses interested in minimizing their chances of being targeted both internally and externally can take advantage of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, which address potential security weaknesses such as lighting in outdoor areas, vehicle access, and door security. Interested parties can arrange for a walkthrough with a specially trained CPTED unit, or learn more about the principles on RCMP-GRC Alberta’s youtube page.
Drug difficulties
Despite the lack of compelling statistics or data trends, Hall said addressing substance abuse remained the detachment’s No. 1 priority for the first quarter.
While no new charges have been laid for production or trafficking of illegal substances, and only one charge for possession has been handed out in 2023, the sergeant cited “tremendous advancements” in on-going investigations as a result of partnerships with the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) and the Eastern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit — advancements he said he’s “excited” to share when investigations are concluded.
Additional efforts to curb substance abuse include drug talks at schools in the area, such as Edwin Parr Composite and the Athabasca Colony school. Officers assigned to each educate students on not only the consequences of drug abuse, but the resources available in the community for anyone seeking support. Two drug talks were given during the first quarter, and Hall said more will follow in the upcoming school year.
Coun. Jon LeMessurier inquired about the difficulties in enforcement when it comes to problem areas and houses known to the community, and in response Hall stressed the importance of reporting all crimes and tips, as hearsay and rumours aren’t sufficient to acquire search warrants.
“It’s a slow process,” said Hall. “We are taking away people’s rights, we are walking into people’s homes, so that’s pretty invasive … we have a high bar to jump over to get (to enforcement).”
Community involvement is key
In an Aug. 2 letter to council and again during the Aug. 15 meeting, Hall stressed the importance of the call-back unit, designed for the reporting and investigating of non-urgent calls such as fraud, minor thefts, or property crime. Despite the commonly held notion reports of these nature clog the police’s to-do list, Hall noted that even seemingly insignificant tips can assist investigations.
“We’re using this information here to address some of the trends and crimes that are popping up in certain areas. I’m trying to get the message out as quickly as possible to as many people as I can to continue reporting crimes even if it doesn’t feel like it’s that important, because we do use that information.”
An in-person RCMP town hall meeting where residents can voice comments or concerns and engage with officers is expected to be scheduled within the coming months.
