ATHABASCA – Persons and property crime is down across the Athabasca RCMP’s coverage area, according to the most recent set of statistics presented to Town of Athabasca councillors by Staff Sgt. Mark Hall.
During the Nov. 19 regular council meeting, councillors heard from Hall, alongside Const. David McLenaghan, about the areas the Mounties focused on during their second quarter, which includes July to September.
Persons crime — which includes assault, uttering threats, and sexual offences — fell to 59 files in 2024, down from 80 in 2023, and the five year high of 97 in 2021. Assault files went down by 13, falling from 47 in 2023 to 34 in 2024, and criminal harassment fell from 15 files last year to just two.
Property crime also fell across the board, with every category decreasing except for theft over $5,000, which rose from just three files last year to six this year. Break and enters fell 54 per cent, down from the five-year peak of 61 in 2023 to 28 this year, and theft under $5,000 went down 39 per cent.
“I had set the target to reduce the amount of break and enters in the area to 150 — I would like to see zero — but we want to see a drastic reduction,” said Hall. “We have reported a total of 72 (year-to-date) as of this report, so that puts us ahead of our projected target.”
Part of the detachment’s strategy has been a focus on repeat offenders, as well as individuals out on parole or bail. Hall has maintained that a large portion of the areas crime is committed by a small number of individuals and more check-ups seems to be working.
“We’ve brought the compliance rate up to 88 per cent, which means people are being held accountable for their repeat behaviours,” he said. “We’re checking on them more, we’re making sure they’re following the conditions more and when they’re not, they’re dealt with accordingly.”
When Hall’s police officers aren’t out fighting crime, the staff sergeant has been pushing them to interact with the community. From Cpl. Dan Fenton’s “Coffee with a Cop” initiative to McLenaghan’s efforts with Edwin Parr Composite School’s senior high rugby team, each officer has the opportunity to interact with the community in their own way.
“Having a detachment commander that’s open to having these things out there in the community plays a big role,” said McLenaghan. “I think it’s great, it builds a relationship, and the boys see the benefit from helping the community as well.”
Councillors said the detachment's efforts have not gone unnoticed — Coun. Dave Pacholok, a lifetime resident of Athabasca, said the current era was a high point for the town.
“There’s been times where there was good leadership in the RCMP, and times where there was less of a leadership presence, and this is one of the most positive times I’ve seen in my 69 years of being around here,” he said.
Mental health and wellness calls have been constant for the detachment, and Hall said the greater area’s Regional Police and Crisis Team (RPACT) nurse had been hired and wis working out of the detachment.
“It’s been phenomenal and fantastic. We’re going to see a lot of good health outcomes for the community,” said Hall.
The nurse, a trained RN who is hired through Alberta Health Services, will be partnering up with a specially trained RCMP officer to handle mental health and wellness calls as they come in. The two-woman team will cover Wabasca, Athabasca, Boyle, Westlock, and more, and will help determine if an individual needs to be brought to a hospital.
“They can deal with a lot of the mental health issues a person is dealing with — if they see the uniform, they may not be as receptive, but when they see the nurse, it can put them a little more at ease,” said McLenaghan.
