From left: Manager of Community Safety Services and Morinville Fire Chief Brad Boddez, Town of Morinville General Manager, Community and Infrastructure Services Sharleen Edwards and Acting Staff Sergeant Lew Simms chat during the Coffee with a Cop event at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre on Nov. 1, 2023, in this file photo. Several more public engagements are planned with the public and the RCMP for 2024. – File Photo
by Colin Smith
Morinville saw significant reductions in crime and traffic offences in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Morinville RCMP Municipal Detachment statistics show total criminal code offences down 25%.
The drop was reported in the detachment’s Third Quarter Report, which Acting Detachment Commander Sgt. Lew Simms presented to the council at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 12.
Crimes involving persons fell by 46% last year, from 46 in 2022 to 25. Property crimes went down 24%, from 84 to 64, and there was an 8% reduction in other criminal code offences, from 50 to 46.
There were no crimes related to death, robberies, or kidnapping/hostage/abduction offences.
Along with 12 assaults, there were two incidences of extortion, four of criminal harassment and three of uttering threats.
One sexual assault was recorded, and three other sexual offences.
Compared to 2022, property crime thefts declined last year from 38 to 27, including motor vehicle thefts, down from seven to four. There were also one fewer break-in, at six.
There were 25 mischief offences, 11 of which involved damage to property. Nine frauds, two possession of stolen goods, and one arson were committed.
Other criminal code offences included offensive weapons, one, disturbing the peace, eight, drugs, two, and failure to comply and breaches, 35.
A 73% drop in provincial code traffic offences, from 292 to 80, was reported, together with a 33% drop in criminal code traffic offences.
The RCMP responded to 32 motor vehicle collisions in 2023, down from 35 the previous year. Four of these involved injuries, none fatal.
There was one missing person report last year, compared to six in 2022.
Serving the towns of Morinville, Bon Accord, Legal, and Gibbons, as well as Sturgeon County and Alexander First Nation, the Morinville Detachment has a complement of 34 personnel, including RCMP members and eight public service and Town of Morinville employees.
In his report, Simms pointed to effective detachment initiatives, including the Lock or Lose It program and Hot Spot Checks, to help reduce property crime.
He said recent enhanced awareness and education events, including Coffee with a Cop on November 1 and the Candy Cane Check Stop on December 21, were also valuable.
At the meeting, council members also discussed Morinville RCMP policing priorities for the 2024-2025 operating year.
Acting Detachment Commander Simms had requested information about the community’s policing policies for the year by the end of this month.
Three top policing priorities are identified annually based on a review of projects, including the 2021 Community Safety Plan, the Traffic Safety Plan, the Traffic Safety Bylaw implementation, the Transportation Master Plan, and the Pedestrian Crossing Review, as well as community feedback and RCMP reports.
The administration recommended that this year’s policing priorities be community engagement and presence, public safety and crime reduction, the same as for 2023-2024, and the recommendation was adopted by council unanimously.
The priority of community engagement and presence implies increased visibility and presence of the RCMP, which will make proactive and positive appearances throughout the community.
Improving traffic, intersection and pedestrian safety through education is the aim of the public safety priority, along with increasing public safety through community awareness, education, partnerships, planning and enforcement.
A focus on reducing crime through police visibility and patrols, as well as educating residents on how they can enable crime reduction in local neighbourhoods, are integral to the crime reduction priority.
Other policing priorities that have been identified in recent years include property crime, family and domestic crimes of violence and traffic safety.
During the discussion, Councillor Ray White expressed concern about the notion of top priorities.
“As soon as you pick three priorities, it seems like you say the other priorities are not as important,” he said.
Sharleen Edwards, General Manager of Community and Infrastructure Services, replied that Simms made it clear other priorities continue to receive attention.
