The latest quarterly report from the Bonnyville RCMP Detachment reflects the recent spike in rural crime in Alberta.
Sgt. Sarah Parke presented the report to Town of Bonnyville council on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Like many municipalities across the province, crime is occurring at a high rate in town.
“The statistics are up higher than in years past, and that's not unique to the Bonnyville detachment. A lot of detachments in this district are suffering the same plight when it comes to rural crime, and dealing with break and enters, thefts under $5,000 and thefts over $5,000,” detailed Parke.
Between the months of January to September, there were 70 break and enters, compared to 30 in 2016. There has also been a spike in stolen vehicles. With 66 reported during that time. This is up from last year's 37. Thirteen cases of theft over $5,000 were also reported.
The most frequent crime was mischief to property, with 326 cases, theft under $5,000 followed shortly after with 208. The next highest number of cases was 115 incidents of assault.
“There's a correlation in the downturn of the economy and the upswing in those statistics, whether it's a coincidence or not, we can't say for sure. It's also about why the criminals are stealing. Sometimes it's so they can turn a profit, but sometimes it's because they just want the item,” Parke explained.
Members of the detachment are fully aware of the issues at hand, but still have to rely on help from the public to solve the problem.
Parke encouraged anyone who thinks they notice suspicious activity to retain as much information as possible and call into the station.
“With the rural crimes it can be difficult for us to catch the thieves unless we're in the right place at the right time. At that point, we rely on the public's assistance. Whether they have surveillance footage, or a licence plate, anything we can follow up on after the fact,” said Parke.
During the presentation, Parke also laid out the work the RCMP has been doing in local schools. Over the course of the current school year, officers have been in classrooms, working with students and teachers.
“We're doing school patrols, and working with youth. Members are getting into the schools, meeting with teachers and being around as a positive presence for the students,” she said.
Parke added the RCMP know what to take from the report, and they're fully aware of the issues. They've even gone as far as to deploy a unit devoted to handling rural theft concerns.
In the meantime, she reiterated the importance of residents being on the lookout and ready to report suspicious behaviour.
“We rely heavily on the public's assistance and encourage neighbours to report any suspicious activity no matter how small it may seem, because it may be part of a bigger picture that they're not aware of. That may be able to help us track down what we're trying to accomplish,” explained Parke.
