By battlefordsNOW

Rural and property crime the focus of RCMP town hall meeting

Jun 6, 2018 | 11:01 AM

Property crime, rural crime and the risks of taking matters into your own hands were a few of the issues raised during the RCMP’s town hall meeting in Battleford Tuesday.

Residents had an opportunity to discuss their concerns during the event, which was one of a number of meetings held across the 87 RCMP detachments in the province this spring. During the meeting, Staff Sgt. Greg Abbott, with the RCMP’s central district management team in Saskatoon, and Battlefords RCMP Staff Sgt. Darcy Woolfitt discussed the RCMP’s efforts to tackle crime and fielded questions from the good-sized crowd.

“The dialogue that has happened, both with the police and amongst themselves in the audience, was excellent. That’s what this is all about; relationship-building,” Abbott told reporters after the event. Abbott said residents need to work with the RCMP as well as other members of their community to help reduce crime in the Battlefords and the surrounding rural areas, and urged residents to help the RCMP by reporting any suspicious activity to police. 

One attendee asked about what the police are doing about property crime, and said the issue seems to be getting worse in the region.

Abbott said today’s society presents more challenges than ever before for police, including issues around crystal meth, staff shortages, and constant training to prepare new scenarios. While the police are facing challenges, Abbott said new technology, such as automated licence plate readers, is helping them do their jobs better. While some rural residents have expressed concerns about police response times, Abbott said the geographical area police cover is large and it simply takes longer to get to remote locations.

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“That’s one of the main challenges we have, so we have to police smarter,” he said.  

He encouraged residents to get to know their neighbours, stay vigilant, and report any suspected crime to RCMP. Abbott advised strongly against confronting any suspected criminals, and said firing warning shots could also aggravate a dangerous situation.

“Call the police; let us do our job,” Abbott said. “You never know what you are dealing with. Why prompt a confrontation if it’s not necessary?”

Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie and MLA Herb Cox both agreed with Abbott’s comments at the meeting, telling attendees insurance can cover a loss of property but nothing can bring back a lost life.

The next of RCMP town hall meeting will be held tonight in Denholm at the Community Hall at 7 p.m. Meota residents can attend a meeting on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the Community Hall.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW