STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
(Shaun Penner / EverythingGP)
By Abby Zieverink
Crime down

Grande Prairie RCMP report shows August crime decrease year-over-year

Sep 7, 2021 | 11:41 AM

A report from the Grande Prairie RCMP shows crime in the Swan City was down in August on a year-over-year basis.

This after Sgt. Shawn Graham with the Grande Prairie RCMP says police reported a drop of nearly 300 calls in the city in August 2021, when compared to August 2020.

He says in the county, RCMP responded to roughly 100 fewer police events this year during the same period.

“As far as looking at our stats, break and enters, theft of a motor vehicle, theft from a motor vehicle and possession of stolen property… They’re certainly down from the previous year, in the city and rural.”

Theft from motor vehicles saw the largest decline in reports in the city, dropping half from the previous year. In the county, break and enters saw the biggest decline, where there were just a third as many calls compared to 2020.

Total police events include calls for service, officer-generated files, and traffic infractions.

Statistics for the City of Grande Prairie along with the rural portion of the Grande Prairie RCMP jurisdiction can be found below:

(Supplied Grande Prairie RCMP)
(Supplied: Grande Prairie RCMP)

Graham suggests there could be a few reasons that crime statistics have been dropping year over year, including their efforts to increase communication with community members.

“We look at what happened locally because it may be different than other communities, and (we) send out information that is appropriate to what is happening.”

Another reason Graham suggests is from the RCMP’s operational strategies, which he says includes having their crime reduction unit focus on specific crimes that have been happening in the community.

“Having our crime reduction unit focus on certain things that have been happening, if there’s thefts in a certain area or a particular people that they have been committing crimes and there may be investigations to lead us towards them,” said Graham.

“So, it’s really helping us focus our policing efforts.”

Graham also believes crime stats are continually dropping year over year because people are more aware of what is going on around them and are reporting suspicious activity to the police.

“The community gives us that information; they help us with solving crimes and providing us with that information that will support the investigation.”

With break and enters reporting the smallest decline in the city’s statistics from August year over year, Graham says the best way to prevent property crime is through suited principles.

“Which is crime prevention through environmental design… Following things such as having a time at night a 9 o’clock routine.”

Graham says a 9 o’clock routine focusing on locking up possessions and property is a big step that can help towards preventing crime on your property.

“Making sure all your doors are locked, vehicles are locked… making sure items outside, bicycles and things are put away.”

Keeping outside lights on and trimming overgrown bushes also helps decrease your chance of property theft, suggests Graham.

“Make sure you’re cutting them down, so there’s not places people will be hiding that they will want to that they will break into your property or business.”

by Abby Zieverink