INNISFAIL - Local Mounties appear to have significantly slowed down the epidemic property crime wave in Innisfail and the surrounding area, a problem plaguing the entire province and triggering a priority tough-on-crime declaration from the provincial government last March.
Innisfail RCMP Staff Sgt. Chris Matechuk publicly told town council on Aug. 13 that overall property crime in the town and surrounding area has dropped 20 per cent in the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2017. He also said overall persons crime has fallen by four per cent. Overall, all Criminal Code offences are down 17 per cent, said Innisfail's police chief, whose public statements last spring on the crime wave were gloomy.
Last May, Matechuk told the Province there was a 50 per cent increase in property crime compared to the same time in 2017. He added break and enters were up 88 per cent while motor vehicle thefts increased 78 per cent and thefts under $5,000 were up 35 per cent.
However, Matechuk told council on Aug. 13 that statistics for the first six months of 2018 show break and enters decreasing 11 per cent over the same period last year. Council was also told there was a 14 per cent decrease in theft under $5,000 complaints and an 18 per cent reduction in mischief complaints. Matechuk's report, however, revealed no change in the number of thefts of motor vehicles, with 59 reported this year, exactly the same as last year.
"The guys are doing a lot of great work out there. They are spending more time on the roads," said Matechuk. "They are taking habitual offender management and property related crime reduction initiatives seriously and they are doing a lot of good work there. There is no doubt it is having an impact, and hopefully it will continue."
Matechuk's report to council on Aug. 13 follows the province's announcement last March that $10 million, which included $2 million from the federal government under the Provincial Police Service Agreement, would be invested for more RCMP officers, civilian staff and Crown prosecutors to battle an out-of-control rural crime wave.
Last May, Matechuk said the detachment implemented key crime prevention initiatives, such as the Habitual Offender Management Program, to directly deal with the property crime epidemic. He also noted at that time there was committed ongoing investigative work by the detachment’s police officers, who were successfully collaborating with neighbouring detachments. As well, there was increased focus on public awareness and cooperation.
"I don't think there is any one thing," said Matechuck when asked to comment on contributing factors for the recent success. "Partnerships with the community is great, and public support is really great and important. We are only as effective with policing from the support we get from the communities, and the officers are taking crime reduction seriously. They are putting a lot of effort towards it."
Meanwhile, the RCMP's most recent positive results are earning glowing praise from Mayor Jim Romane.
"It's very encouraging. It is good news," said Romane last week. "Any time you can reduce the numbers by 16 or 18 per cent in that short a period of time is pretty good. There has certainly been a serious approach to solving the issues, the outburst of rural (and property) crime that was going. I think they (RCMP) have made a genuine effort to overcome this."
However, Romane cautioned that while Innisfailians have reason to celebrate the good crime reduction news there is still more hard work ahead for the Mounties.
"I don't think they can back off and take it for granted from here on in either. It's got to be followed up," added Romane.
