ST. PAUL – A group of residents from the County of St. Paul met on the evening of July 28 at Cork Hall to discuss immediate concerns relating to what they believe to be an increase of rural crime in the area.
Attendees at the meeting included County of St. Paul Reeve Glen Ockerman, Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA David Hanson, other local politicians, and the RCMP.
The questions “What can we do?” and “What can we do to protect ourselves?” were common re-occurrences throughout the townhall meeting. RCMP’s James Morton, District Advisory NCO, and the former head of the Eastern Albert District Rural Crime Reduction Unit (EADRCRU), was clear in stating there is no specific answer to the questions.
Among the many concerns raised by the residents was RCMP response time for property crimes. Residents also asked about their options, and the limitations of what they can do to protect themselves and their property.
“I can't answer the question – ‘what can you do?’ because there is no specific answer,” Morton said. “Because everybody in this room will have a different tolerance of what they would be comfortable with doing. So, at the risk of that, the question is: what do you want to do?”
Residents raise concerns
Some residents who have been victims of theft said it seemed the RCMP were making them feel like they were the “bad guy.” One resident said, “we get that every time, you can’t do this, and you can’t do that.”
Another resident said their property have been broken into, and the trespasser released their horses onto the highway. The resident said he was sued, rather than the trespasser.
Other alleged incidents include a resident being assaulted by three individuals after their garage had been broken into. The resident allegedly beat up one of the attackers as he fought against the three individuals, and was then charged with assault.
In response, Morton said residents can do what they believe is right, as long as they are prepared to face the consequences that come with it. When asked why victims must suffer the consequences of protecting their home, Morton said that Canada is not a country where you can shoot somebody who steps on your property - regardless of the circumstances.
“That is not this country - is that the country we want to live in? [Then] I encourage people to go and vote for the elected officials that will create that law,” he said. “That law doesn't exist now and I'm not in a position to advocate for or against it, because I'm here as a member of the RCMP," adding, “I'm not in a position to advocate whether that's the right way to go or the wrong way to go. My only job is to do the best I can to the laws that exists.”
Some residents asked if they would get charged if they shot a firearm in the air as a warning shot during an on-going crime to deter perpetrators. Morton said that it is difficult to have hypothetical conversations, because the court works on facts and evidence, not on hypotheticals.
“If we want to have conversations about how to minimize the risk of your property being victimized, well, great, then let's get together in small groups,” he said, adding, the RCMP can offer consultation on setting up a security system unique to a resident’s problems, for example.
Another issue of concern voiced by residents is a perceived the lack of resources and staff by the RCMP.
RCMP stated that they have filled up the positions they have available in the St. Paul area. According to RCMP, the numbers of positions required for municipalities, like towns, counties, or cities, are determined by factors including the numbers of crimes reported in a region, the types of crime and the population.
Justice System
One resident asked why the cycle of crime keeps repeating, to which MLA Hanson said he believes it is more of a problem with the justice system. He said the same perpetrators, after getting caught, get released and then commit crimes again.
Morton said facts point to the same people committing crimes, and he believes the problem comes down to mental health issues, addiction issues, lack of education, lack of sustainable housing, and lack of employment.
Morton also said the group of people committing the crimes locally are known to the RCMP detachment in the region. According to Morton, “there are probably 30 people in the St. Paul [RCMP] Detachment files that are responsible for probably 80 per cent of the crimes.”
He also stated, “It becomes a situation of trying to figure out how to engage social agencies to provide the supports to give the people the opportunity to learn a life that doesn't involve stealing things to feed themselves or feed their addiction.”
RCMP continue to ask residents to report all crimes, no matter how small they may seem. If a crime is reported, even if the perpetrators are gone, it is still important information that can help build on other information and help with intelligence and patrol plans, according to police.
