Fighting rural crime

The tried and true remedies to fight crime in rural areas – like locking doors and vehicles, installing gates, video cameras and signs warning people off your property – are still the best ways to solve the problem, Olds RCMP say.

Cpl. Mike Black and Const. Rob Power gave that advice during an Olds & District Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Pomeroy Inn & Suites Sept. 13.

“Target hardening is the phrase that we're using and what we're preaching to the businesses as well as homeowners. Lots of lighting; make sure all your stuff is locked,” Black told reporters.

“Gates, fences, video cameras are huge for us – good quality video cameras – nothing analog. Digital is the way to go. And if there are any questions to call the detachment and we'll be happy to help.”

They also said catching the perpetrators of crime in Olds and area is tough because the criminals don't tend to be local. They tend to come from out of town – in some cases as far away as Grande Prairie.

“The distances that we would think that our non-local people would travel (would be from) from Red Deer. But we're talking from Grande Prairie where they'll just have a stolen vehicle, they'll gas and dash all over the place,” Black told the crowd.

“They'll make the whole Alberta circuit, whereas a normal, functioning person wouldn't even consider that because it's just too far to go, right?”

Black and Power encouraged victims of crime or people who see suspicious activities to contact Olds RCMP. But don't call 911; that's only for emergencies. They encouraged people to call another line, 403-556- 3323, which is staffed 24 hours a day.

Power said a simple solution to reduce theft is to ensure your property is well lit.

“Number 1 is lighting. If they see lighting, they're not going to go there,” he said.

“Think of it as like an onion and stuff – different layers. So if your outer fence is your first layer, you can get motion detectors now for all your gates.”

Power also recommended installing trail cameras, but not just any trail camera – good quality ones.

“If we get a picture with a blurry face, there's nothing we can do with it. And with the older cameras, that's all we get,” he said.

It was pointed out that many thefts in rural areas seem to occur in broad daylight, shortly after residents have gone to work. Power and Black were asked what can be done to solve that problem.

Black suggested installing good alarm systems and letting neighbours you trust know that you're gone. Even something as simple as having a dog on the property can help.