MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Sundre RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Trent Sperlie has updated council on yearly and quarterly crime statistics, saying officers are making a concerted effort to target copper thefts in the area.
The review came during a recent, regularly-scheduled council meeting, held in person and online.
Sgt. Sperle said there were a total of 674 Criminal Code crimes reported in the detachment area in 2023, down from 833 in 2022. Persons crimes totalled 163 last year, up from 133 in 2022, while property crimes were 366 in 2023, down from 518 in 2022.
“Assault is the driving factor in the year to year increase in persons crime,” he said. “The assault in the last quarter consist of seven domestic assaults, two youth fights, three family fights, three bar fights, one road rage incident, and one where the motive and cause is unknown.
Persons crimes has declined from 45 incidents in 2012 to 28 in 2023, he noted.
“Charges were laid in the majority of these (2023) assaults, with three occurring in Mountain View County,” he said.
Break and enters in the areas were evenly divided between commercial buildings and oil/gas sites, with three occurrences happening in Mountain View County, he noted.
“We are looking at some proactive approaches on the copper wire thefts, and trying to detect them when they happen so we can be there when it is going on,” he said. “Hopefully I can have some results for you on the next report to show that that is having an effect.”
In response to a question from Reeve Angela Aalbers, Sperle said plans are in the works to have all RCMP detachments be equipped with remotely piloted aircraft systems (drones) to support emergency response teams, he said.
“I think it makes great sense and it is catching up with the technology,” he said. “It is using technology to our advantage. It can arrive first on scene and reduce the risk to officers who are responding to a high risk call.
“It can also be used for search and rescue, to give us a better eye of the area that we are looking at.”
The systems would be carried in police vehicles or from other locations, he said.
“The ultimate plan is to have one at each detachment,” he said.
Council accepted Sperle’s report as information.
