(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

lots of arrests

PINPOINT proving to be successful crime reduction strategy for Red Deer RCMP

May 6, 2022 | 9:00 AM

Red Deer RCMP say its PINPOINT initiative continues to have a positive impact on crime reduction.

According to the detachment, PINPOINT is a proactive, strategic policing method which reduces the negative impact of repeat offenders to identify property crime hotspots and persons of interest.

It was adapted as a pilot project in Red Deer about six years ago and has become a permanent fixture of the detachment.

Last month, RCMP say, eight PINPOINT persons of interest were arrested for weapons charges, flight from police, driving while suspended, failing to comply with release orders, theft and other outstanding warrants.

During one patrol of a PINPOINT-identified address, members identified a stolen vehicle, which then fled from a marked police vehicle. Members located the suspect vehicle and arrested the driver without incident.

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“With the public’s help, it acts like an oversized neighbourhood watch program,” explains Staff Sergeant Rob Marsollier, emphasizing the importance of public reporting. “Citizens who recognize anomalies in their neighbourhoods, or in the business areas where something or someone doesn’t seem to belong, can call these suspicious activities in, then we send patrols. Often it turns into something where there is criminal activity happening.”

Red Deer RCMP won’t share where PINPOINT hotspots are, nor how many persons of interest are on their list, both in order to protect information from falling into the wrong hands.

Marsollier does say, however, that hotspots migrate all around the city, and typically away from where RCMP move into for increased patrols. He says there are no neighbourhoods significantly worse than others, though the downtown does get a lot of focus.

Last year, RCMP did 2,480 person of interest checks, and 4,417 hotspot checks.

In the first three months of 2022, there were 867 (on pace for 3,468) person of interest checks and 798 (on pace for 3,192) hotspot checks.

Checks on people mean they may be on release with conditions, and checks on hotspots are active patrols in areas, either on foot, bike or car.

“It depends on call volume, or if we have a chance to check somebody more than once, that can happen too,” says Marsollier. “Everyone on our list gets checked at least once a day.”

Adds Marsollier: “PINPOINT focuses mainly on the property crimes that are occurring. Property is a high percentage of the crime that’s happening, and there are different catalysts for that. There are drugs and other issues. We find when we focus on the property side, it does make a significant difference, and if somebody is held accountable, we do notice a drop for the time they aren’t active.”

According to RCMP, PINPOINT focuses on the types of crime that will most greatly reduce property crime at that time, meaning the approach can change from month-to-month.