The province has announced an investment of $8 million for additional RCMP to combat a spike in rural crime in recent years.
The province has announced an investment of $8 million for additional RCMP to combat a spike in rural crime in recent years.
The funds will create more frontline positions - a total of 39 new officer positions and 40 civilian employees - which the Alberta government said will make a significant impact on the streets and in communities across the province.
It's particularly noteworthy for Rocky View County who released a survey earlier this year that indicated residents wanted more RCMP presence in their communities.
Last month in Cochrane, 18 cars were stolen in the span of one week.
“I'm confident this plan will give our rural police officers more tools in their toolbox to fight crime, ” said Kathleen Ganley, minister of Justice and Solicitor General. “Rural police officers are part of their communities.
“They do difficult and extremely important work every day. I want to thank the RCMP for the work they do to protect Albertans. ”
The province said the investment is a nod toward their confidence in the Alberta RCMP's systematic and evidence-led Crime Reduction Strategy - a collaborative policing approach designed to address the root causes of crime and breaking the cycle of criminal activity in a community.
New positions will be added to the Crime Reduction Units - six new intelligence-focused officers, four additional crime analysts and more civilian staff, which will help cut down on paperwork so that officers can focus on investigations, patrols, and engaging with their communities.
Each RCMP District is equipped with a Crime Reduction Team dedicated to targeting prolific offenders, particularly in the areas of break and enters, vehicle thefts and thefts of other property.
“Rural Crime Reduction Units are designed to act fast to target repeat offenders who commit the vast majority of crimes in an area, ” said deputy commissioner Todd Shean.
“I can assure you, if you are committing crime in Alberta, we will identify you and we will stop you. ”
