By Sheldon Spackman

Lacombe hosting provincial Crime Watch symposium

Feb 1, 2018 | 1:19 PM

Rural crime prevention is the focus of a special event taking place in Lacombe this month.

The Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association is holding a Provincial Symposium and AGM at the Lacombe Memorial Centre February 16 and 17.

Ken Wigmore, President of Red Deer and Lacombe County Rural Crime Watch says vehicle and property theft is most prevalent when it comes to what Central Albertans are dealing with.

“We are getting some armed robberies and people are getting broken into in the middle of the night,” says Wigmore. “Even sometimes during the day, getting robbed at gun-point or knife, different things that are alarming a lot of people and they really don’t even want to stay in their houses anymore because of the crime that’s going on.

“These guys don’t really care who they hit and when they hit them,” Wigmore adds. “Some are getting hit five and seven and ten times in six months, so it’s getting a little bit sad.”

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As a result, he says the mood and state-of-mind for a lot of central Albertans is not good.

“A lot of people are really scared and there are a lot of people that are saying ‘something has to be done.’ Just what they have in their mind, I’m not sure but I can tell you, I wouldn’t want to be the crook that accosted some of these guys.”

Wigmore hopes for strong attendance at the symposium, noting 125 people from all parts of the province already registered for the fundraising event.

“The fundraiser will help Red Deer – Lacombe promote more education,” he says. “We can’t watch everybody’s place but we can educate people and also some of the money will go to the provincial body to help them to operate their books and operate their fundraising so that they can hold the whole thing together.”

According to Wigmore, education is the biggest objective the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association is trying to achieve with this symposium.

“We have cut our area up into four quadrants and we will hold education sessions in each quadrant once a year unless we’re asked for more. They’re basically to tell people what they can do to look after themselves and be sure to lock your house, lock your vehicles.”

He goes on to say that raising awareness and getting more organizations and people to work together is key to addressing rural crime concerns.

“Everybody works in a silo and the crooks don’t work in a silo, they work all over the place,” explains Wigmore. “We really need to share the information and need to get different RCMP detachments, as well as city police detachments to work together to get the word around, to share it, the awareness I guess.”

Crime prevention tips offered on the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association’s website include being aware of your surroundings at all times, ensuring doors and vehicles are locked, don’t hide keys outside your residence and report all suspicious activity among others.

For more tips, visit the association’s website at www.ruralcrimewatch.ab.ca.

To register for the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association Provincial Symposium and AGM, which will feature will feature a trade show, guest speaker and entertainment from Danny Hooper, click here.