With vehicle thefts continuing to be a problem in the district, the Olds-Sundre-Didsbury Rural Crime Watch Association (RCW) is encouraging residents to follow some tried and true advice: lock up your cars, trucks and farm equipment.
That's the message from RCW president Gerald Ingeveld following the group's monthly meeting on Jan. 31.
One of the best ways to counter vehicle thefts is to make things difficult for criminals seeking easy targets, he said.
"Some people still aren't locking up their vehicles," Ingeveld said. "It won't stop a really good thief but it will stop the guy who is just looking for opportunities.
"Even when the vehicles are sitting in the yard, lock them up. It is a habit we have to get into."
Association members work with area RCMP officers and other stakeholders to identify criminal activities and seek ways to reduce crime levels.
The organization has a fan-out system to notify residents of criminal activity and suspicious individuals.
The Jan. 31 monthly meeting saw members meet with new Olds RCMP Staff Sgt. Jim MacDonald.
"He talked about the statistics and how they are up on property crime," said Ingeveld. "There are a couple of things they are putting forward to deal with that. He wasn't going to get into too many details because I guess they don't want the bad guys to know what they are going to do.
"He talked about special task forces in the central area and how things are happening there."
The monthly meeting also included a presentation from a security firm based at the James River Store.
Area residents and business owners may want to consider installing video surveillance on their properties, he said.
"Anything that acts as a deterrent to criminals is good," he said. "Most crooks are lazy and they are looking for a grab and run sort of thing. Anything that slows that down is good.
"It's an investment and you can get a little back on insurance. It's great for peace of mind and we are encouraging people to consider having systems installed."
Meanwhile, Ingeveld says he is encouraged to hear that the Olds Citizens on Patrol (COP) group, which includes members of the RCW association, has started conducting patrols in the district.
"I think they have trained about 50 people right now," he said. "What we are encouraging is for members of rural crime watch to keep doing what they are doing, but if you would like to patrol, join COP as rural patrollers.
"The Olds people are out there patrolling, so they are getting out in the rural areas right now. They are reporting stuff. Of course they do not engage criminals. You don't want to endanger anyone. We are trying to keep people safe."
The Sundre Citizens on Patrol group is also soon expected to start rural patrols, he said.
Meanwhile, the upcoming provincial rural crime watch association conference this month should be a good opportunity to share successful crime-fighting efforts, he said.
"I think there are about 53 rural crime watch groups in the province right now, with 20,000 members, so we will get to have a chance to dialogue and share experiences from right across the province," he said.
Ingeveld sits on the provincial rural crime watch association board.
Rural crime watch groups, including the local association, are working on ways to use the latest call-out system technology, he said.
"We are really looking for an all-encompassing phone application for crime watch," he said. "We are using a call-out system that's got a little age on it and is a little slow.
"We are looking for something that will do everything. Something that will take a photo of a suspicious vehicle and feed it into a database. I think we are close to it.
"There are several things that are being tried across the province, so it should be neat to see what successes and challenges people have had with those applications."
The local association's call-out system currently uses emails, phone calls and faxes, he noted.
Red Deer-Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen will be hosting a rural crime town hall at the Eagle Hill hall on Feb. 20.
The local association will be holding its annual general meeting on March 28.
"We will be putting the finishing touches on that," he said, noting there will be a presentation on drugs at the AGM.
Meanwhile, Ingeveld recently said getting to know your neighbours is a good way to fight property crime.
The association has put out the following tips for crime prevention:
• Get to know your neighbours. Organize a block party and get the neighbours together. When you see something out of place let law enforcement know. A strange vehicle in your neighbourhood. People hanging around you don't recognize. Better to have it checked out rather than becoming a victim of crime
• Lock your stuff up. Don't leave valuables out in the open. Put your keys, wallet and other valuables in a safe place, not in the vehicle.
• Have good lighting in your yard.
• Remove important documents that you don't need on a daily basis from your wallet or purse. Photocopy what you do have in your wallet in case it goes missing. This will make replacing your stuff much easier.
• Have someone check on your place if you're going to be away. Have them clean sidewalks, pick up papers and cut lawns. Make your place look lived in. Let your alarm company know their contact information. Make sure your keyholder information is up to date with your alarm company.
• Keep your yard clean and a clear line of sight to the street or road. Don't leave stuff out like ladders and tools the burglar can use to break in.
• Keep an inventory of your stuff with serial numbers in a safe place you can access if you need to. For fire or theft, mark your stuff so it can be returned to you if recovered.
•If you want respect, be respectful of others and their property. If you want a good neighbour, be one.
• Don't post your trip or your intention to take a trip on social media. Wait until you are back.
• Can't stress enough – If you see something suspicious – call the police. Then post it on social media if you want, but the police only know of the incident if you call it in.
"Crime affects us all," association officials said, "whether it's a personal incident or if it's shoplifting from our local store or theft from a business. These costs all get added into the price we pay for goods. Therefore crime prevention is good for us all."
