M.D. of Foothills Reeve Larry Spilak is happy to see the Province getting serious about combating rural crime.

He says their announcement last week of getting some administrative help for local detachments to help clear the backlog of paper work, will get more officers out on patrol, instead of sitting behind their desks.

"With that being freed up, I think you're going to see them out in their vehicles within the communities. And thereby possibly being closer to the crimes that are being committed."

Spilak says the promised extra officers and other initiatives are a good start, but are a little late coming.

Spilak says "people are upset." He says you can see it by what happened with the situation with Edouard Maurice. He says "I believe that people believe that they have to defend their children and their families. And they will do whatever necessary to do that. It doesn't mean it's within the law."

The M.D. is hosting an open house on rural crime, Tuesday, April 10 starting at 7 o'clock at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks.