Police are stepping up enforcement efforts to combat a rash of thefts in rural areas of western Canada, according to Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore.
In an address to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) midterm online convention November 9, Blackmore said thieves are targeting catalytic converters, farm equipment and accessories, tools and other high-end items.
“There have also been instances of theft of cattle and other livestock,” she said. “In the last couple of months, we’ve had many positive outcomes where we’ve been able to identify those responsible and charge them with those crimes.”
Blackmore said the key to successful police investigations lies with timely input from the public.
“The police can’t be everywhere,” she said. “It’s vital that we have the help of the public. We need those eyes and ears out there to provide information.
“I encourage people to report incidents of crime, even when they seem like small incidents, or anything suspicious.
“At the end of the day, the information provided by members of the public could be the critical piece of the puzzle that helps us apprehend the criminals.”
Blackmore said the RCMP rural crime reduction strategy includes “re-energizing” the Rural Crime Watch and Citizens on Patrol programs.
“We are using intelligence-led police tactics,” said Blackmore. “What we see on the surface may not be what is actually happening when you peel the layers back and piece the big picture together.
“Incidents that appear to be isolated may be connected. When you’re dealing with different RMs and different RCMP detachments, it’s important to share information so our intelligence analysts can put those pieces together.
“They can uncover patterns and find key elements that we can use to further our investigation.”
Blackmore said Crime Reduction Teams (CRT) are helping to reduce the incidence of rural crime. CRTs are able to deploy to communities anywhere in the province that are experiencing dramatic surges in criminal activities. The teams conduct targeted enforcement based on intelligence and analysis of crime trends.
Recently, the CRT initiative was expanded from seven to nine units with the inclusion of teams in the LaRonge and Meadow Lake areas.
The provincial government has provided $1.5 million for this expansion in 2021-22 and approximately $3.2 million in each subsequent fiscal year.
Blackmore said CRTs focus on prolific chronic offenders.
“Five per cent of the criminals create 80 per cent of the crime,” said Blackmore. “If we can take those offenders off the street and hold them accountable, it will make a very big difference in the amount of crime out there, and the severity of the crimes as well.”
Blackmore said the RCMP is working hard to cultivate public support by increasing communication with community members and being visible and accessible in both urban and rural areas.
That strategy is effective in helping lower overall property crime rates, she said.
“There is some good news,” she said. “Violent crime was down eight percent and property crime down two percent from January to August 2020, compared to the same period a year earlier.
“That speaks volumes on the positive work being done.”
She noted the lower crime rate last year was in contrast to the upward trend over the preceding five-year period of 2016-2020.