RCMP say the Crime Reduction Strategy announced in February, with the Provincial Government, is showing some great results in the fight against rural crime.

The Province invested over 13 million dollars in the program which has seven points of action including enhancing intelligence and information sharing, dedicating resources to apprehend repeat offenders and reducing administrative burdens of officers, to allow them to spend more time conducting investigations and engaging with the communities they serve.

Superintendent Peter Tewfik says the data shows the plans they implemented is working.

"Midway through our first year of implementing this strategy our data indicates our policing approach is making a difference," said Tewfik. "From January till July this year property crimes in all RCMP detachments in Alberta are down by nine per cent this year compared to the same period last year. If we look at just rural Alberta property crime is down 11 percent."

Some of the stats include 648 fewer motor vehicle thefts, 366 fewer break and enters and 2,358 fewer thefts compared to last year.

From January to July of this year, property crimes excluding fraud, mischief and arson, in all Alberta RCMP detachments have decreased nine percent compared to the same period last year.

These crimes in RCMP rural detachments for the same period have decreased 11 percent.

For the month of July, compared to the same month last year, property crimes excluding fraud, mischief and arson, have decreased 17 percent.

In RCMP rural detachments, these crimes have decreased 25 percent during the same period.

One part of the plan included district-level crime reduction units who have made over 500 arrests and laid 1,600 charges since February.

The RCMP also plan to implement a number of new initiatives over the next six months from enhanced responses for victims and offenders, to innovative technologies designed to strengthen data gathering and community engagement.

 

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