City council met with the Cranbrook RCMP to discuss the department’s policing, public safety and other priorities for 2024.
City officials said council members raised questions regarding increasing petty crime, the use of the new RCMP resources and the continuation of RCMP and City Bylaw joint homeless encampment safety patrols.
“We all recognize the increasing public safety challenges that communities right across the country, including Cranbrook, are facing,” said Mayor Wayne Price. “To be able to meet with our local RCMP detachment and to understand what the RCMP have in their work plan for 2024, with such an emphasis on our local issues, it shows there is an understanding of our challenges and that there is a positive plan in place going forward.”
City officials said Staff Sergeant Barry Graham highlighted several initiatives the Cranbrook RCMP has planned for 2024:
- Creation of a Community Engagement Coordinator position, which will help with the Community Policing Constable’s administrative work. The Community Engagement Coordinator will also gather and analyze crime trends to help RCMP develop and implement crime prevention and reduction strategies.
- ‘Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)’ – City officials said this initiative will support and educate businesses and residents about designing and using built environments, which can reduce the incidence and fear of crime and improve quality of life.
- Development of an RCMP /Policing Strategic Plan in the fall of 2024 with feedback from residents.
- Relaunching the Cranbrook RCMP Volunteer Program and increasing community visibility through more patrols and attending community events.
- Provide crime reduction and prevention programs, initiatives and services.
- Host business engagement meetings to discuss crime trends and challenges. RCMP will then use information from the business community to create crime reduction initiatives.
“We are committed to working with the community, and all levels of government and partner agencies to support safe communities and maintain public confidence and trust in the services we provide,” said S/Sgt Barry Graham. “Our areas of focus, as a department, are informed by the municipality, the province, as well as national and federal priorities. We will continue to work with our partners to identify and address the issues that matter most to the community.”
S/Sgt Graham also shared crime statistics for 2023.
“Of note, compared to 2022 figures, there were increases in break & enters to businesses (+35%), shoplifting (+22%), mischief (+20%), and assaults (+16%) in 2023. Residential break and enters are comparable with 48 reports in 2023, compared to 45 in 2022. Theft from vehicles is down 25% in 2023 compared to 2022,” said city officials. “Cranbrook RCMP submitted 322 reports to Crown recommending charges in 2023; 82% of those were approved by Crown.”
“We recognize that petty crime in the community may be underreported to the RCMP and fully appreciate some people may feel reluctant to call the police. Even if police are not immediately able to respond or there was a delay in reporting to police, the information provided to us through the public reporting crimes to police is valuable,” said S/Sgt. Graham.
“That information may help us gather intelligence, identify crime trends, and implement initiatives to address those issues, whether that be proactive patrols, targeted enforcement or utilizing other resources. Further, there may be ways that we can bring accountability through providing information and evidence to Crown Counsel for consideration of charges, even if we don’t catch someone in the act.”