In almost all aspects, recent statistics collected by the RCMP show criminal code, traffic safety act, and municipal violations to be in line with average figures recorded over the past five years.
The only ways the numbers significantly vary from previous years are jumps in the theft of motor vehicle and the theft under $5,000 categories. These crimes have spiked not only in the Town of Stettler and County of Stettler, but across the province, thought to be driven by the collapse in the oil industry.
Sgt. Phil Penny, Stettler RCMP detachment commander, spoke to the Town of Stettler council at its meeting on Tuesday, March 1, presenting the numbers to council and outlining how the detachment will proceed for the coming year.
In the town, police recorded 23 thefts of motor vehicles in 2015, up from 10 the previous year. Previously, the highest number of reported vehicle thefts was 13 in 2011. In 2011, theft under $5,000 peaked at 39 reported incidents, though in 2015, that number climbed to 52. That number is also more than double the number from 2014.
The numbers also rose in the county, with 40 stolen vehicles reported in 2015, and 150 thefts under $5,000. The county, due to its rural nature, is attractive to criminals because of the decreased chance of witnesses to illicit behaviour, Penny noted. And while increasing presence in the area has some effect, the biggest way to change the amount of crime in the county is to change how people handle their property.
"Lock your vehicles, lock your doors," Penny said.
While a handful of other categories showed sharp spikes, primarily domestic violence, Penny noted the spikes were artificially generated by changes in how the RCMP record their calls.
"There's no real change here," he said.
Penny's report is available as part of the March 1, 2016 Stettler Town Council agenda.
