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Cold Lake RCMP provide 2022 statistics to City council

A number of increases in incidents have been noted in the 2022 statistics provided to City of Cold Lake council by RCMP.
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COLD LAKE - Sgt. Ryan Howrish of the Cold Lake RCMP detachment, along with Sgt. Patrick Russell, spent time speaking with City of Cold Lake council on April 11, updating them on some of the trends they are seeing, and how they are addressing crime in the area.

The Cold Lake RCMP detachment oversees four communities - the City of Cold Lake, a portion of the MD of Bonnyville, Elizabeth Métis Settlement and Cold Lake First Nations. The detachment has a total of about 47 personnel, which includes Victim Services. 

In 2022, the detachment had 1,092 prisoners, which is lower than the previous year. Many of the people who were taken into custody are repeat visitors, said Howrish. One person, for example returned about 60 times in one year. 

“We try not to be a hotel because there are other agencies in our community that can help us with that," he said. He noted that when there is a mat program operating in the city, the detachment notices the difference, and takes in fewer people who are able to access the overnight service.

When speaking to the number of staff at the detachment, Howrish said, “We’re very happy with the way we sit right now.” While one member will be going on paternity leave, there will be one coming back, and a new French-speaking member is expected to arrive at the detachment in June. 

Offering some statistics to council, Howrish noted that firearms related offences are up in 2022, with 160 offences recorded. In 2021 there were 118. He explained that 90 per cent of the stolen vehicles officers come across have guns inside - even if they are abandoned vehicles.

"It's dangerous."

Mental health

Howrish spoke about the addition of RPACT in the region, which is a police and crisis team that includes an RCMP officer and a mental health therapist from Alberta Health Services. In the Lakeland, the RPACT team includes an RCMP officer with a mental health background. The team works out of St. Paul.

“We’re really seeing the success of that,” said Howrish, adding, “It’s a resource that we didn’t have before.”

Guns and pepper spray don’t always help someone in a mental health crisis, acknowledged Howrish, adding, “We’re not mental health professionals,” and there is a lot of help that people in a mental health crisis need that RCMP alone cannot provide. 

Statistics

Within the City of Cold Lake, municipal criminal code offences have increased by 15 per cent. Municipal property crime has increased by 18 per cent, and break and enters are also up. Theft under $5,000 is up 35 per cent, and while theft of motor vehicles is down, there were still 169 incidents recorded in 2022.

Council asked if the Operation Cold Start initiative was helpful, to which Howrish noted it was successful. The initiative includes RCMP officers looking for vehicles left running with the keys inside in the winter. Officers then knock on doors to remind residents that the habit is a dangerous one when it comes to theft of vehicles. RCMP came across several vehicles left unlocked during the effort.

Howrish also noted the decrease in MVC thefts could be the result of a few select people being in jail at the time. 

Howrish also spoke highly of the work being done by Lakeland Crime Reduction Unit. 

“They recover a huge amount of property," he said, noting that one of the last recoveries included about 23 vehicles that have been stolen. The work being done by the unit, which includes three individuals, is "phenomenal."

In general, RCMP members "know who the criminals are in the community," and the LCRU makes it their job to go to these people's houses, when there are warrants or to ensure people are abiding by their conditions. While sometimes it can be as easy as knocking on a door, other times it isn't. 

The Cold Lake detachment also includes a General Investigations Section (GIS). In 2022 the GIS had 36 major case files and 68 charges were laid. While a lot of work is done around the drug trade by general members, they don't always have the specialized knowledge for investigations, which is where the GIS comes in.

Mayor Craig Copeland asked what members of the public can do if they suspect there is a drug house in their neighbourhood, to which Sgt. Russell said people should call the detachment to have a file created and it will then be assigned to an investigator. The police will work to gather their own intelligence, and investigate. 

Howrish noted that community surveillance is important to the work done by RCMP. 

Police Dog Service

With the Cold Lake based police dog known as Harp nearing the end of his career, a new furry member will be joining the ranks of the detachment.

Since arrive in Cold Lake, Harp has 500 captures, which is much higher than many other police service dogs, said Howrish. 

“That dog has seen a lot of action in his career," and while Harp may miss the fast-paced lifestyle of being a police dog, he is sure to enjoy his retirement.

In his place, PDS "Chase" will be coming in this summer. 

The future

Look ahead, Howrish noted that the number one goal of the detachment is to reduce crime.

"We’re going to be focusing on drugs. Those warrant roundups.” Offender management is important since people who commit the most crimes cause the most grief, he said. 

A second goal is community engagement. This is done through public crime forums, proactive patrols, school visits and youth engagement, Indigenous community partnerships, and more. 


Janice Huser

About the Author: Janice Huser

Janice Huser has been with the St. Paul Journal since 2006. She is a graduate of the SAIT print media journalism program, is originally from St. Paul and has a passion for photography.
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