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Brainstorming solutions to crime

Frustrated residents from across the region were looking for answers at the MD of Bonnyville rural crime open forum.
Bonnyville mayor Gene Sobolewski addresses a frustrated crowd during the MD of Bonnyville rural crime forum.
Bonnyville mayor Gene Sobolewski addresses a frustrated crowd during the MD of Bonnyville rural crime forum.

Frustrated residents from across the region were looking for answers at the MD of Bonnyville rural crime open forum.

Representatives from various law enforcement, political, and non-profit organizations spoke and fielded questions on the issue on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Bonnyville Seniors Drop-In Centre.

With property and vehicle theft on the rise, nobody at the speaker's table would deny crime has become a serious problem in the Lakeland.

“There's been a perception that crime is getting worse in the area, and that seems to have progressed into a reality. That reality has come to life in many ways, from the single mom in Ardmore that has a security system she constantly monitors while at work, to the business owners who have been broken into multiple times,” said MD of Bonnyville Reeve Greg Sawchuk.

Representatives from all levels of government were the first to speak, including Fort McMurray-Cold Lake MP David Yurdiga, Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two-Hills MLA David Hanson, and Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Scott Cyr. They were joined by Sawchuk, Town of Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewski, Cold Lake Coun. Bob Buckle, and councillors from Lac La Biche and St. Paul.

The provincial and federal politicians urged the crowd to speak out and make the issue known to the provincial government. While many raised their hands when asked who had been affected by crime, only two in attendance admitted contacting their MLA about it.

“I would say 80 per cent of this room put their hands up as victims of crime,” said Cyr. “Right now, our job is to hold the Minister of Justice accountable for her inability to deal with rural crime. Out of all of the people that were victimized, two emailed their MLA. I need 200 people emailing my office, that's how the message gets through.”

Members of both of the local RCMP detachments were on-hand to go through recent statistics and give their view on what to do moving forward.

Aside from additional members or resources, both representatives asked residents to be diligent in reporting absolutely any suspicious behaviour. They also suggested taking preventative measures, such as buying surveillance equipment to aid in a possible investigation.

“Reducing crime in Alberta cannot be achieved through policing alone. A collaborative wrap-around approach that includes citizens, health services, and law enforcement must be leveraged to break the cycle of these repeat offenders,” said Cold Lake RCMP Sgt. Ryan Howrish.

Howrish acknowledged the high number of recent vehicle thefts and property crimes, but insisted there is more to the issue.

“I don't think we have a specifical property crime-related problem. We don't have a problem with stolen F-350s. I believe strongly we have a drug problem, and all of those other things are peripheral crimes,” he expressed.

The detachment has been and will continue to specifically target drug dealers in the area, in the hopes of controlling the drug problem. They're also set to take on a new K-9 member that can help assist in drug busts, which they will share with the entire region.

This comes in addition to the General Investigation Section (GIS) task force focused on dealing with the issue. In Bonnyville, Sgt. Sarah Parke heads a similar unit. She reiterated the importance of community involvement when it comes to preventing crime, warning residents to be on their toes.

“A successful RCMP unit is both reactive and proactive. Proactive policing is when we have the ability to get one step ahead of the criminals. Members of the community can help us in that capacity,” detailed Parke. “Since we can't always be in the right place at the right time, we're not always there when the crime occurs. In those situations, we rely on witness accounts.”

Regardless of resident involvement, both detachments agreed they could use more resources and a few extra members going forward. Some attendees threw out the idea of a private policing force, but given the cost of training many of the representatives at the table were unwilling to go that route.

The common theme throughout the night was for residents to be prepared, preventative, and to make their voice heard with their local federal or provincial representative.

In the meantime, all of the speakers assured everyone in attendance the issue of crime in rural Alberta isn't going unnoticed.

“I mentioned being proactive for us, but I think it's equally important for citizens to do the same. Use alarm and surveillance systems; consider motion lights and cameras that take motion-detected photos. Keep your vehicles locked and don't keep valuables inside. Keep doors locked and keep an eye out for your neighbour. If you see suspicious activity, report it,” implored Parke.

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