WESTLOCK – Criminal Code stats for the first two months of 2022 are trending slightly above last year but remain well below the four-year peak in 2020.
Westlock RCMP Staff Sgt. Al Baird was in front of town councillors at their March 28 meeting to present the community crime stats for January and February, figures that show a 13-case jump in person crimes versus 2021 and an increase of five property files over the past year — February 2022 was particularly bad for person crimes like assaults as the 17 files is the highest in the last four years. In total, the detachment handled 111 Criminal Code files for the first two months of 2022, seven more than 2021, but 89 less than in 2020 and 15 fewer that 2019.
“We continue to monitor the numbers and see what the trends are going to be for this year. For the past couple of years COVID has helped keep the numbers down, but we also like to think that some of the crime prevention work we’re doing is contributing as well,” said Baird in a follow-up interview.
“But it’s not like Westlock is the only one seeing these trends, the whole province is, especially in the rural areas where initiatives like the crime reduction unit teams have been a success.”
Baird remains hopeful that the province will follow through on its pledge to hire more prosecutors and other staffers as the pandemic has created a backlog at court houses across Alberta. Along with Baird, the detachment currently counts 12 regular members including two corporals and nine constables, but remain short a corporal.
“We’re catching the criminals, but we have no control over the judicial interim releases or the court processes. The Crown has the discretion as to which cases are going forward and which are not. Some are not going forward just based on time,” Baird told council.
“There’s nothing we can do about that other than to keep doing our job and our investigations and hopefully the province hires more prosecutors and books more court time so more matters can go through.”
Baird said the detachment is currently working on its annual performance plan, a document that helps outline initiatives for the coming year and includes input from the town, Westlock County and Village of Clyde councils — mayor Ralph Leriger noted at the meeting the town has submitted its priorities. Last year’s APP, which Baird said they’re on track to surpass, listed crime reduction as the top priority, with several specific initiatives, followed by enhancing public confidence and engagement.
“Now that we’re building the new APP, we’ll see what their takes are on everything. The plans are always flexible to build in stuff to adapt to and change,” he said.
More crime stats
Total provincial stats, which covers the Liquor and Mental Health Acts, is a trending at a four-year low and is down 44 per cent compared to last year — 35 in 2022, compared to 63 in 2021, 46 in 2020 and 37 in 2019.
Provincial traffic files for 2022 are nearly status quo, 27 versus 24, but down compared to the 37 in 2020 and the four-year high of 50 in 2019.
And while false/abandoned 911 calls and suspicious persons/vehicle reports are down 46 per cent and 83 per cent respectively, spousal abuse reports have more than doubled, from five in 2021 to 12 this year — seven alone were reported in February 2022. For the two months of 2020, there were only seven spousal abuse files while in 2019 the detachment dealt with 12.
