DIDSBURY - Council has set policing priorities for the Didsbury RCMP detachment to focus on in 2023 – and at the recommendation of detachment commander Staff Sgt. Steve Browne, the priorities are the same as in 2022.
Every year council is asked to set the priorities it would like to see followed by the local detachment in the municipality.
The 2023 priorities were set by way of motion at the March 28 council meeting, held in person and on YouTube.
This year’s priorities are focusing on major crimes, addressing the opioid and fentanyl crisis, and increasing police visibility in the community, including late evenings and early morning.
During a delegation appearance before council at last week’s meeting, Staff Sgt. Browne said the three priorities set in 2022 remain relevant issues for the detachment and could be considered for priorities in 2023.
“My position is that the priorities that we developed with you last year are still reflective of the community’s needs, from my perspective anyway, and are currently still relevant to what we are encountering,” said Browne.
Mayor Rhonda Hunter said the three priorities “seem to be everybody priorities right now and the priorities seem to be working just fine. We are on the right track.”
She said increased police visibility in the community over the past year is appreciated by the municipality.
Browne said, “If there is another priority that the community identifies as something that needs attention from us then we are certainly open for discussion in regard to tackling that as well.”
During his appearance before council, Browne also presented third quarter (October to December) statistics for the detachment area.
Browne said in quarter three officers conducted five serious investigations within the municipality:
• On Oct. 29 an investigation in possession of stolen property over $5,000 resulted in one adult being charged.
• On Nov. 20 officers charged one youth for criminal harassment.
• On Dec. 5 one adult was charged for domestic violence, specifically domestic assault.
• On Dec. 9 one adult was charged with uttering threats.
• On Dec. 12 one adult was charge with uttering threats.
“That is not to say of course that that is all the investigations we have for that period, but those were of significant nature and resulted in charges,” he said.
Working in conjunction with other police units, local officers continued to target repeat offenders during the third quarter, he said.
“We are maintaining our thumbs on these people who are residing in the community and are directly having influence on the criminal activity that goes on within the community,” he said.
According to statistics presented to council, persons crimes in the detachment were down 32 per cent from the same period last year, totalling 25 reported offences compared with 37 last year and 28 in 2020.
There were five reported sexual assaults, nine assaults, six criminal harassment, and four uttering threats in third quarter 2022.
Total property crime were down 53 per cent compared with the same period in 2021.
There were two reported break and enters, one theft of motor vehicle, eight theft under $5,000, two possession of stolen goods, seven frauds, four mischief damage to property, and four mischief calls.
There were 23 Mental Health Act related calls, up from 14 in 2021 and 12 in 2020.
Mayor Hunter commended the local detachment members for “keeping Didsbury safe.”
Council accepted Browne’s update report as information.