Fear, frustration, and anger are some of the words residents and business owners have used to describe their feelings after falling victim to crime. Their homes, businesses, and vehicles are being targeted, and they have had enough.
Fear, frustration, and anger are some of the words residents and business owners have used to describe their feelings after falling victim to crime.
Their homes, businesses, and vehicles are being targeted, and they have had enough.
"We feel the pain incredibly. We have been one of the biggest victims in the Cold Lake region as far as retail break-ins. We have been a victim at work five times, with two more attempts. We have also been a victim four times or more at home," said Ed Machtmes, owner of Mach 1 in Cold Lake.
Regardless of residents' and business owners' efforts to protect their livelihood, break and enters and theft are on the rise across the Lakeland.
In some cases, businesses are upgrading their security measures, adding cameras, cement posts, or metal bars to their doors.
But, they're always left wondering if that will be enough.
"It's extremely frustrating. It's like a personal invasion. We get to the point where we can't sleep at night. We're frustrated and wondering why we're keeping businesses going," expressed Ron Mack, owner of the Korner Mart and Gas in Glendon.
His business has been targeted six times in the last year, while his fellow business owner, Mike Fewchuk has been hit four.
"It feels like your life has been violated. You work hard to get to where you are and keep a business maintained in town and provide a service, and then they come in and take it all away from you," said the Glendon Liquor Store owner.
Unfortunately for them, by the time the RCMP arrive the criminals are long gone.
"They have all of the time in the world in this community. There's nobody alive at that particular time in the morning," Fewchuk said. "The RCMP response is anywhere from 30-minutes to an hour."
Crime has reached all corners of the Lakeland.
In June, the M&M Mini Mart loved by Ardmore residents and travelers became the victim.
Two people rammed the store with a truck they had stolen earlier in the night, gaining entry into the business.
But it wasn't how they gained entry or what they stole that frightened the staff and owners of the store.
It was the fact that they had guns.
"It has scared the people in town and our customers. Everybody was worried. It's heartbreaking. You work so hard, and I know everyone thinks that retailers make a lot of money, but we don't," said Liz Magistad, owner of the M&M Mini Mart.
Magistad watched the break-in on her phone through the cameras they have installed in the store.
She described rewinding the tape and replaying the incident as "heartbreaking."
"It's like someone is stabbing you in the heart."
Now, she faces those responsible in court.
"In a way, I want to see their faces, because if I ever see them in my store again, I tell you, they aren't welcome. In that respect, I would like to know, but on the same token, it's a little scary," she said.
What needs to change
County of St. Paul resident Trevor Dunham has become a consistent target for criminals.
His home and his properties have been hit five times since July.
"You feel violated, unsafe, and you're always looking over your shoulder," Dunham said.
But it's not only the feeling of fear that victims hold onto, it's a constant wonder of what can be done.
"All you can do is make it a little harder for them. You can't stop them, but you can make it more difficult," explained Paul Gullackson, MD of Bonnyville resident. "It makes you angry. Nobody likes having anything stolen from them."
Gullackson has had multiple thefts from his property. His response was to install seven cameras around his home.
Regardless of whether the crime occurred to a business owner or resident, they all stressed that there is one area that needs to be reviewed: the criminal justice system.
"People are tired of being victims. Our government, our protectors, our legal and justice system need to wake up and fix this problem before innocent people get too much taken advantage of or hurt," expressed Machtmes.
Gullackson agreed, "Our legal system has fallen down. It has collapsed."
Becoming the victim
For some victims, the crime leaves more than just broken windows and empty cash registers. It leaves an imprint on their lives, their homes, and their communities.
"We had a girl quit because she was petrified, and the rest of the staff are scared too," Magistad said about the break-in. "Even though we weren't there, they still brought guns."
Machtmes has suffered health issues because of the constant fear that his business will be next.
He said after a break-in, regardless of where it is in town, all business owners toss and turn as they wait for the dreaded phone call.
"None of those business owners end up sleeping that week. That of course, affects our home life, and our work," Machtmes added.
What residents and business owners can do
"We were getting asked a lot 'what can I do if I catch someone breaking in or onto my property?' It's almost framed in a way 'how much can I get away with?' We're certainly not encouraging people to engage with suspects that are on their property," said Bonnyville RCMP Sgt. Sarah Parke. "If a homeowner catches someone on their property, they should not engage them. Even if they catch them in the act of trying to steal a vehicle or other property, they can't initiate physical violence with that person in an attempt to protect their property. That's not a very popular answer, but that's the law."
Instead, RCMP are encouraging residents to lock their vehicles, their homes, and their businesses, keeping all personal items out of view.
Cameras, security systems, and motion-sensored lights are also recommended.
If you do see something, Parke asks you call the police.
"It may seem unfair, but a homeowner that initiates physical contact with a suspect that is trying to steal property may end up being held liable both civilly and criminally," she said. "We understand that the theft of personal property causes a huge sense of violation, but no property is ever worth taking someone else's life or the lifelong guilt you would feel after taking a life."
Cold Lake S/Sgt. Jeremie Landry suggested having someone you trust shovel your walkway, driveway, and collect your mail when you're away.
"It gives the illusion you're home. If someone notices your house is unoccupied, that increases the risk that they may try and target that residence," he expressed.
Keeping any photos or posts about going away on holiday off of social media can also be an extra step.
Residents can take action if the criminal is showing signs that their motives are to cause harm or inflict pain.
"The homeowner can take action to protect human life," detailed Parke.
She cautions that every situation is unique.
"It's impossible for me to give blanketed advice to what would happen to a homeowner if they engaged a thief on their property. Long story short, always call us if you're able to," added Parke.
What the RCMP is doing
Parke and Landry agreed crime has no borders. In order to make the largest impact on the issue as possible, the RCMP is working collaboratively with other detachments and services.
"We find a lot of the crimes being committed are directly linked to the drug trade. People are stealing and trying to sell stolen property to purchase drugs and try and feed their habit," Landry said. "We're focusing on that, and we're also focusing on the habitual offenders in our areas that are committing the most crimes."
Because the reason for crime encompasses so much, the RCMP believes the best method of action is working with community partners on mental health and substance abuse issues, among others.
"We're seeing the root causes of crime are many, between mental health related issues, substance abuse, those growing up with poor role models, the affects of residential schools, poverty, low education, all of that together is impacting the amount of crime we're seeing. If we don't deal with those root causes, we're not going to truly make a difference," continued Landry.
Is crime really on the rise?
The Bonnyville RCMP has seen a spike in crime in a number of areas.
From Jan. 1 to Nov. 30 of this year, the local detachment had 83 break and enter files. When looking back on the year before, there were a total of 34 files, marking a significant increase.
Motor vehicle thefts are also increasing with 76 in 2017. This is up from 40 in 2016.
When it comes to theft under $5,000, the detachment has responded to 249 files within that time frame this year.
"Drug dependency is playing a huge role on the motivations as to why people are committing the crimes they are," Parke stated.
With the rise in social media and access to cellphones, extortion is also up.
Parke said most of the cases the local detachment is seeing are people sharing intimate pictures.
"Ultimately what's happening is young people are sharing inappropriate pictures with each other and not realizing or considering that once it's out there, it's out there for life," she explained. "It wasn't an issue as recently as even a decade ago. It just simply wasn't an issue. It still happened, but it just wasn't as readily available to people as it is now."
Persons crimes are also up slightly this year in town, with 128 between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30.
Cold Lake, on the other hand, is telling a different story.
Landry said their stats are showing crime is steady within their jurisdiction.
"Our busiest year over the last five was in 2013 where we had 8,844 calls up until the end of November. This year, we're at 8,673," he said. "If you look at our rural versus municipal files, the trends are the same. We're busier both within the rural and municipal contracts."
Habitual offenders
The RCMP has provincially put a target on habitual offenders, looking into strategies that will reduce the root cause of crime.
Landry said, "The case is true where we deal with five per cent of the population 95 per cent of the time."
The same goes for Bonnyville, who has seen repeat offenders come through their doors more often than not.
When they do make a major arrest, Parke explained the crime that individual was most known for goes down.
"A large amount of the crime is being committed by a smaller proportionate amount of criminals," she added.
The way the criminal justice system works
After making an arrest, RCMP collect all of the information needed for the investigation.
The Crown prosecutor uses the evidence provided to "present a case where the likelihood of a conviction is high based in the fact that there is very little reasonable doubt that would be produced."
Parke continued, "Reasonable doubt plays a huge role when criminals are found not guilty or cases are dismissed."
RCMP understand that the "revolving door" system isn't working, but residents are still left scratching their heads at how the problem can be resolved.
"To me, we can't fix this unless we fix the judicial system," said Mack.
Why people are frustrated
"I think people are frustrated because when you're victimized, it creates a lot of emotions ranging from anger, potentially fear, frustration, those are all normal feelings when a person is victimized. Especially with property crime where you have had your property stolen from you, maybe you have had your house entered and items stolen," Landry said. "Having a stranger in your home rifling through your possessions really diminishes your feeling of safety, which can have detrimental affects on your life."
