A near capacity crowd of about 200 angry and frustrated citizens attended the first Rural Crime Town Hall meeting organized by area MP Earl Dreeshen.
Following introductory comments from Dreeshen, senior RCMP officers, local MLA Don MacIntyre, Red Deer County mayor Jim Wood and Red Deer councillor Buck Buchanan, rural residents from both Red Deer and Mountain View counties recounted personal crimes against them, and frustrations that not enough is being done to combat the long-epidemic rural crime wave that has struck their homes and region.
"The economy is bad and there is a lot of desperate people put out there, bolder criminals, and they have no remorse about putting people at risk," said Dreeshen, who facilitated the town hall meeting at the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion on Jan. 27.
Over the course of 90 minutes the MP for the riding of Red Deer- Mountain View and panel members were offered a wide range of several possible solutions.
They heard ideas as socially progressive as improved rehabilitation programming and housing for offenders, to tough "law and order society" solutions like the implementation of a Stand Your Ground Law, which could give Albertans a full and clearer legal right to use whatever force is necessary if they believed a threat of force is being made against them. There were even suggestions families should pay the cost of feeding their incarcerated loved ones.
In between those extremes, others suggested changing current laws. Gayle Langford, a Red Deer lawyer who lives on a rural acreage between the city and Delburne, said an amendment to the Criminal Code's theft over $5,000 law, Section 334, should be made. She said many "smarter" criminals are aware that if they get charged with that law they have the right to choose either a judge alone or judge and jury for trial. Many, she said, automatically choose judge and jury, as chances are higher that overworked Crown prosecutors will ultimately throw those cases out.
Langford's suggestion underscored one of the RCMP's biggest challenges – getting a handle specifically on the ongoing large number of stolen vehicle cases. Her idea intrigued the panel and Dreeshen promised to have a look at the law.
Dreeshen, who was chosen last December by his Conservative Party's Alberta caucus to co-chair a Rural Crime Task Force, said he was pleased with the high turnout, adding many have been in contact with him with their concerns, which, he said, will be going to the national level. The local MP, who will take part in drafting a final report with recommendations to the federal government when the task force's work is complete in six weeks, said he was pleased to hear the wide range of ideas.
"One of the police officers said what they deal with was the mad, the sad and the bad. I understand the stresses and concerns people will have," said Dreeshen. "I know that certain type of help at the right time is important, but we have to make sure we also recognize that if you change from one level to another that the general public can feel safe. I think it is important we recognize those three aspects of it and that we tailor our responses accordingly."
In the meantime, proactive measures are already taking place in Red Deer County. Wood told the audience the county has budgeted $150,000 to have an enhanced plainclothes RCMP position to work specifically on rural crime. He added county officials, along with "key players" in the municipality, have finally secured a meeting with the provincial justice minister on Feb. 12. Wood said that would be followed up with more public meetings.
"I am happy we had some really good questions today and that we had key players in this room who are trying to work towards a solution because that is what it is all about. It is a good start," said Wood, noting Rural Crime Watch meetings are equally well attended. "This takes it to a little larger scope."
Dreeshen's next town hall meeting will be held in Mountain View County's Eagle Hill Memorial Community Hall on Feb. 20, from 7 to 9 p.m.
