Richard Froese
South Peace News
Peace Regional RCMP was significantly busier responding to crime in 2023 than in the year before.
Officers responded to 7,983 calls for service in 2023 compared to only 6,370 in 2022, says Const. Julie-Ann Strilaiff, public information officer for the detachment.
“This is just over a 25 per cent increase in volume and files,” Strilaiff says.
“The increased volume of calls includes many factors, which are attributed to but not limited to, regional population growth as well as the significant wildfire season the area experienced last spring and summer.”
Peace RCMP reported a one per cent increase in calls in 2022 compared to the previous year.
Calls in 2023 related to traffic and motor vehicles incidents and tickets accounted for 16 per cent of the volume followed by mischief obstructing property and/or damage to property at just over 11 per cent.
Other leading calls were well-being checks at eight per cent, 911 hang-ups and alarms calls at almost six per cent, thefts at six per cent, motor vehicle collisions at about 5.5 per cent, failing to comply with justice orders, conditions or attend court at just over five per cent, assaults at almost five per cent and suspicious persons and vehicles and just over four per cent.
Many of those files occurred in the area of Peace River, Grimshaw and Woodland Cree First Nation due to higher concentration of population and evacuations during wildfires.
“However, consistently rural properties and communities are still being targeted by crime,” Strilaiff says.
Wildfires kept officers busy.
“Our dedicated members were challenged with longer hours and more days of work than usual during the wildfire season assisting in evacuation efforts, securing communities, assisting with the sudden increase in people in our area due to evacuations, displaced persons and more throughout the peak summer months,” says Strilaiff.
“One amazing advantage to the RCMP is the sheer number of members across the country.
“While our local RCMP were working around the clock during the challenging time for our communities in the wildfire season, we were fortunate enough to receive relief members from several RCMP units to assist during the wildfires.
“This ability to provide relief members to help was given to detachments all over the province and was appreciated by communities everywhere.”
Peace police continue to set priorities and strategies to curb crime.
“In consultation with all our communities, several strategic priorities were identified, including serious and organized crime, crime reduction community relations and youth engagement, impaired driving and mental health initiatives,” Strilaiff says.
“Where possible, our local RCMP attended many community events in 2023, leading community engagement in the region with almost 200 significant meetings with community groups, participating in community events, initiatives for youth engagement and many more.”
RCMP again worked with local organizations for the Reducing Injury and Increasing Student Knowledge (RIISK) program that educates youth on the consequences of impaired driving.
She adds calls often come in waves.
“Possibly one month we may see an increase in stolen vehicles, while the next month could see an increase in mental health needs,” Strilaiff says.
“Peace Regional RCMP has continued to support our local partners to assist persons with services and has continued an approach of education to our communities.”
With sudden warmer weather, police report an increase in stolen vehicles or items stolen from vehicles, she says.
RCMP remind citizens to remain vigilant, report suspicious activity and to help protect their homes, property, and belongings by keeping valuables, tools and personal documents locked away, out of sight, leave vehicles locked up and do not leave vehicles running with the keys inside.
She advises citizens that video surveillance is valuable for police and criminal investigations.
“We remind people of the importance of have home security and video surveillance systems,” Strilaiff says.
“I cannot stress enough to the number of times video surveillance has been provided after a crime is committed and as a result a person or persons have been identified and charged because either the business, homeowner or neighbourhood has had a camera security system,” Strilaiff says.
It is important that owners know their system and how to extract video and photos.
When police have the recording in hand, they can already identify the suspect(s) or police can issue a news release to the community to seek assistance to identify the person(s).
“This is also a huge advantage at court when there is clear video evidence of an offence occurring with positive identification of the suspect(s),” Strilaiff says.
“With greater and stronger evidence, such as direct video footage and photos, comes with increased likelihood if conviction and hopefully longer periods of time in remand centres, leaving people feeling safer in their community,” Strilaiff says.
She encourages anyone who has a home security system to considering registering with Community Assisted Policing Through Use of Recorded Evidence (CAPTURE).
More information is available online at ruralalbertacature.ca.