By Phillip Maiani, Suhaib Yusuf and Josh Hall

covid a factor, ponders staff sergeant

Most types of crime in Blackfalds decreased in 2021

Feb 12, 2022 | 11:46 AM

Overall crime was down in Blackfalds last year, town council heard from the local detachment this week.

Staff Sergeant Dan Martin, with Blackfalds RCMP, presented annual crime stats to council at its meeting on Feb. 8

Martin said most crime in town trended downward, year-over-year.

Statistics show there were 368 property crimes reported in 2021, a 15 per cent decrease from 2020. Blackfalds RCMP also conducted 194 investigations into persons crimes, up from 181 investigations of the same nature in 2020. Further, there was a 26 per cent decrease in other criminal code offences, from 118 to 87.

Vehicle theft decreased 15 per cent, Martin presented, while break and enters decreased 21 per cent, and instances of theft under $5000 went down 32 per cent last year.

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“[There was] a little increase in persons crime of seven per cent, but overall, we’re seeing crime trends go downward. We are really happy with that. No one ever wants to see an increase in persons crime, but do we blame COVID because people are cooped up and frustrated? I wish I had an answer for that,” Martin said.

“Again, [with property crimes going down], can we thank COVID for that because people are staying home and less likely to be broken into or have things vandalized?”

Martin also noted that most members at the detachment are healthy, with none currently out due to COVID-19. One provincially-funded vacancy was recently filled, and at least four other inbound transfers have occurred or will soon. Two other members recently transferred out, he said, while one member is retiring and another is on maternity, and two are on long-term illness.

Two members were recently deployed to the Coutts border crossing and should return soon.

Meantime, the first month of 2022 was busy for Municipal Enforcement Officers who opened 77 investigations, twenty involving snow on sidewalks.

There were 15 parking complaints filed, most resulting in violation tickets being issued.

Twelve files were opened for Animal Control, most related to noisy or loose dogs.

There were 95 total violation tickets issued last month using the e-ticketing system, 89 being provincial violations and six municipal violations. This resulted in a total of $22,848 in fines.

Blackfalds Fire Department, which is mentoring three new recruits, responded to twenty incidents in January, in the community as well as in Lacombe County.

Year-over-year stats for Q3 can be viewed starting on page 55 of the Feb. 8 council agenda.