Richard Froese
South Peace News
High Prairie RCMP were busy with calls for mischief, suspicious incidents and assaults in 2024.
Acting Sgt. Jason Barber reports the detachment responded to 5,174 calls, down from 5,278 calls in 2024.
“July was the busiest month for calls while January had the lowest number of calls,” Barber says.
He listed the top-10 types of calls for the year.
-Mischief – 511 calls., down from 530 in 2023.
-911 Act – 327 calls for 911 hangups, misdialled calls and frivolous calls, up from 265 in 2023.
-Suspicious person or vehicle and suspicious activity on property – 326 calls, up from 270 in 2023.
-Assault – 226 calls, down from 229 in 2023.
-Asisted provincial departments such as EMS, hospital, probation, fire departments – 223, down from 225 in 2023.
-Well-being checks – 195.
-Motor vehicle crashes with reportable property damage – 189, down from 205 in 2023.
-Disturbing the peace – 158.
-Other moving traffic violations – 155, down from 170 in 2023.
-Assisting the general public – 152.
High Prairie RCMP recorded 124 break-and-enters in residences, up from 87 in 2023.
Barber also reports 67 motor vehicles were reported stolen in 2024, down from 76 in 2023.
“There was an increase in reporting suspicious persons, property and vehicles in 2024,” Barber says.
“This is likely due to more transient persons in town and property owners being more vigilant in reporting these incidents.”
Police reported 146 calls related to the Mental Health Act, down from 168 in 2023.
“High Prairie RCMP has had support from the Regional Police and Crisis Team (RPACT), which has been assisting in meeting with clients to ensure they are getting the right help and support they need,” Barber says.
The RPACT Rural team is based in Grande Prairie and serves RCMP detachments based in High Prairie, Faust, Valleyview, Spirit River, Fox Creek, Beaverlodge, Grande Cache and Grande Prairie rural, he says. It is comprised of one RCMP member and a mental health therapist from Alberta Health Services.
RPACT is a mobile crisis-response team qualified to intervene, assist, assess and support persons experiencing a mental health crisis.
Barber says 63 files of missing persons were recorded in 2024, down from 256 files in 2023. He notes that in 2023, 185 missing persons were calls originating from the High Prairie Campus-Based Treatment Centre (formerly known as the High Prairie Youth Assessment Centre) to locate missing youth.
Barber advises people to be proactive help to prevent crime.
“Residents are reminded to lock all doors gates, sheds, garages and vehicles and to install motion lights,’ Barber says.
“Remove valuables, electronics, jewelry and other expensive items from your vehicles.”
He adds the use of surveillance cameras on property crime and police can contact property owners to assist with the assessments to better provide security to properties.
The RCMP Alberta West Area District has a crime-prevention liaison who leads Project Lock Up to help identify victims of property crime such as break-and-enters and can contact property owners to assist with site assessment to improve security for their properties.
He notes several YouTube videos are available on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.
To report criminal or suspicious activity, please phone the High Prairie RCMP detachment at (780) 523-3370 or please phone Crime Stoppers at (1-800)- 222-TIPS (8477).