BARRHEAD - Crime continues to trend downward, for the most part.
At least it is, according to Barrhead RCMP Detachment commander Sgt. Colin Hack and 'K' Division statistics.
Hack shared the good news with Town of Barrhead councillors during their Jan. 28 meeting.
"[Break and enters] are down by half from last year, " he said, adding business B&Es are also down, but not by as much of a percentage.
One of the reasons why crime has been on the decrease, Hack said, is because two or three of the area's more prolific property crime offenders are behind bars.
"As soon as they get out, we'll see crime go up," he said.
Hack added that traffic offences are also trending downwards, saying they issued roughly 160 tickets last year and about 130 this year.
Regrettably, one area that has remained static over the last year is the amount of damage from motor vehicle collisions.
"Lots of deer and moose are out there, and people are still hitting them," Hack said.
Unfortunately, he said, despite the overall crime statistics going down, the overall number of calls Barrhead RCMP has received in 2025, at 250, is about average.
Hack said frauds are still a problem in Barrhead.
"It doesn't matter how much education we give, people still fall victim to online telephone frauds," he said.
Hack told councillors about an older gentleman who had come into the detachment in November to tell them how a telephone scammer had dupped him out of $20,000 in gift cards.
"I asked him if he had seen the signs that Rural Crime Watch puts up at the tills, and he said yes," Hack said.
He added that the man had also told him that the teller had asked him if he knew who the gift cards were for.
"And he's like, yeah, 'I talked to him on the phone,'" Hack said. "Once they get that number on the back of the iTunes, it's gone."
Unfortunately, he said, there is often not much police can do, as most culprits are outside the country.
Hack said his members have also remained busy dealing with stolen vehicles.
In the last 11 months, the Barrhead RCMP have responded to 52 stolen vehicle reports; in the previous year, it was 54.
Hack said that the detachment had recovered several stolen vehicles from outside the area in recent months.
"They are being stolen from Legal, Morinville, and Westlock, and they are ending up here," he said, adding Barrhead RCMP members have recovered over half a dozen vehicles.
Hack added they believe a small ring of two or three individuals is responsible for the thefts, saying they are specifically targeting older models from 2004 to 2010.
"What they are trying to do is replace their [vehicle identification numbers or VIN] and then sell them," he said.
Hack added police believe the group is likely trying to expand the areas where they steal vehicles to Barrhead, saying they were captured on security video stealing a vehicle from behind one of the local car dealerships.
Fortunately for the owner, RCMP recovered the vehicle two days later.
"With brand new tires on it," Hack said.
Hack added that the vehicle wasn't the only one police had recovered, which was better than when it was stolen.
One vehicle Barrhead RCMP recovered was a 2013 GMC pickup, which had its tires upgraded with 20-inch tires and rims, and the criminals installed a new stereo system.
The vehicle was also freshly painted, and its VIN was replaced.
"They really put a lot of work into it, so it could not be recognized," he said.
Hack said to help combat stolen vehicles, more plainclothes officers and unmarked cars are being brought in from outside the detachment.
Last month, one of these units spotted a stolen vehicle near Fort Assiniboine.
"Two unmarked vehicles were following it, and I got off the road, hid in the bushes, and as it was passing by me, threw the spike belt out and punctured three of its four tires," he said.
Hack said that the vehicle drove for another two or three kilometres before coming to a stop and being surrounded by the police.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
