On Monday Red Deer RCMP’s Officer in Charge Superintendent Holly Glassford provided City Council with an update on the RCMP’s Annual Policing Priorities (APP) along with the fourth quarter crime statistics for 2022-23.
The 2022-24 APP was developed by the Red Deer RCMP through community consultation in early 2022, with the top three policing priorities identified as: Police Response and Visibility, Crime Reduction, and Engaged Community Partners.
Highlights from Supt. Glassford’s presentation include plans to enhance police response within the community by working with Alberta Health Services to create two more Police and Crisis Teams (PACT), which pairs a psychiatric nurse with an RCMP officer. Currently, there are two PACT teams providing specialized policing resources for mental health calls in Red Deer.
Another way the Red Deer RCMP plan to enhance police response and visibility is by conducting patrols throughout Red Deer’s extensive trail network.
“Throughout the warmer months and into the fall, Red Deerians will find Red Deer RCMP officers patrolling trails throughout the city via foot, bicycle, segway and ATV to enhance the feelings of safety as well as to proactively identify issues,” said Supt. Holly Glassford, Red Deer RCMP.
In Q4, both Red Deer Traffic and the Downtown Patrol Unit had strong numbers advancing the RCMP’s crime reduction efforts. The Traffic Section completed seven high-visibility enforcement projects, resulting in hundreds of violations and the issuing of 50 Immediate Roadside Sanctions related to impaired driving. The Downtown Patrol Unit issued an additional nine impaired driving sanctions, and continued proactively targeting issues in the downtown core including the execution of 206 arrest warrants and issuing 253 violation tickets.
Statistics submitted in the report show the RCMP’s crime reduction efforts continue to be effective in Red Deer. In Q4, property crime decreased 23 per cent in Red Deer, with theft of motor vehicle down 51 per cent.
Crime prevention works best when the community takes proactive measures, including participating in CPTED initiatives, reporting suspicious activity and protecting themselves from fraud.
“I want to thank the community for taking steps to protect their property and continuing to report suspicious activity. Consistent, timely reporting leads to data-driven, intelligence-led policing,” said Supt. Holly Glassford. “Our General Duty teams as well as the specialized support units are committed to the policing priorities and continually work hard to ensure public safety in Red Deer.”
Lastly, through their work with community partners, the Youth and Community Action Team redirected 22% of youth facing criminal charges away from the criminal justice system towards diversionary programs offered by community organizations.
Council also inquired about the impact the Community Standards Bylaw has had on excessive traffic noise. Amended in May 2022, section 5.1 of the bylaw set maximum allowable decibel readings for vehicle noise, as well as increased fines for first and repeat offences. Municipal Policing Services Manager Bart Rowland reported that Community Peace Officers and the RCMP’s Traffic Section have been out conducting noise patrols, and that all of the tickets issued have been upheld in Traffic Court. Anecdotally, The City had seen a noticeable drop in complaints.
For more information about the Annual Policing Priorities, visit www.reddeer.ca/APP.