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April-June

Property and persons crime decrease in first quarter, according to Red Deer RCMP

Sep 13, 2022 | 9:52 AM

Property and persons crimes have both showed a downward trend in Red Deer during the first quarter (Q1) of 2022, from April to June, according to the RCMP’s Quarterly Community Policing Report.

The report was put together and read by Superintendent Holly Glassford to city council at Monday’s meeting.

Priority two of the RCMP’s priority list for 2022-2024 was “Crime Reduction”, including the development of crime prevention initiatives, member training and development, and the reduction of all types of property crimes.

The report states that Red Deer is on track to reducing total property crimes by 10 per cent. In Q1 of 2022, there were 2,574 property crimes while in Q1 of 2021, there were 2,816.

“Downtown Red Deer is a safe place to be. I encourage the community in Red Deer to get downtown and explore,” said Glassford. “I think it’s a great place to be and I think sometimes the social media and the chatter just kind of gets out of hand.”

There were 774 persons crimes in Q1 2021 and 672 in the same quarter this year.

According to the report, all categories of crime have decreased in Red Deer except for traffic offences. For Criminal Code traffic offences, including impaired or dangerous driving, Q1 of 2022 saw an increase of 40 per cent compared to last year’s quarter, at 179 and 129 violations, respectively. Provincial Code traffic offences, including speeding or running a red light, increased by 35 per cent in Q1 of 2022 with 2,397 violations compared to 1,780 in Q1 2021. Motor vehicle collisions also increased 22 per cent in Q1 2022 with 599 accidents compared to 493 in Q1 2021.

Councillor Dianne Wyntjes asked for an update regarding the new regulations on excessive vehicle noise. Although unable to confirm how many tickets have been issued, Bart Rowland, Manager of Municipal Policing Services for the city, said officers were issuing tickets one hour after completing training. He also said the department has received unsolicited positive comments by the community about the area being much quieter since then.

READ: Fines of $250 for excessive vehicle noise underway in Red Deer

Councillor Vesna Higham shared resident concerns about open drug use. Mayor Ken Johnston similarly questioned the success of the provincial Virtual Opioid Dependency Program, introduced in mid-July. Inspector Heidi Ravenhill confirmed that two members of the public have utilized the program since its implementation.

READ: Red Deer RCMP to offer addiction treatment at time of arrest

“We encourage all members in the community to contact the RCMP if they are observing suspicious or criminal activity and then it will allow us to give a more timely response to their concerns and also for us to continue, while working strategically, we analyze those reports and then we can focus our policing in the areas where we’re receiving reports,” said Glassford.

The report also provides updates on the RCMP’s two other priorities of “Police Response and Visibility” and “Engaged Community Partners”.

Also presented to council was the finalized three-year Joint Business Plan between the Alberta RCMP and the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General, outlining six broader priorities for the provincial police service. The priorities include:

  • Enhancing Engagement and Communication with Communities and Stakeholders
  • Community Safety and Well-Being
  • Indigenous Communities
  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • Crime Reduction
  • Enhancing Service Delivery