A year with the RCMP

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

2014 was, overall, a good year for the Strathmore RCMP detachment, according to Staff Sgt. Kevin Reilly. In general, things have seemed to improve from a policing perspective year to year.
“I would say in the course of the seven or eight years I have been here I’ve have definitely seen a general decrease and downward turn in things,” said Reilly.
Strathmore doesn’t have as much in the way of serious and violent crime as there was when he first arrived.
There are also programs put into place: bike patrols, bar patrols, foot patrols in certain areas of town, or targeted controls in certain areas.
“The biggest thing I think that I have noticed in the last year or two is the crime reduction unit position that we have with Cst. Shannon White in there. That’s a program where we’re monitoring and try and help rehabilitate those people who meet a certain criteria, and they are the more habitual, or more likely to reoffend type of offenders,” said Reilly.
An extra eye is kept on those habitual offenders, something they also notice, making them often less likely to commit a new crime.
“We’re also trying to offer them more help and get them into programs and rehabilitate them by trying to use the different agencies that we can work with, whether it’s probation, whether it’s McBride and getting them to go to the job centre to see if they can get a job because of course if they’re working they’re less likely to commit crime,’ said Reilly.
“(Or) whether it’s getting them into drug or alcohol treatment programs so that they get off the drugs and the alcohol which is what motivates them to do their crime, and pay for their habits.”
Because of the crime reduction unit and the work that White has put in, Reilly feels it has had a significant impact on the community. There are plans in place to involve more of the members, creating an even better program.
Another successful initiative of 2014, and one that returns on Jan. 1, 2015, is the enhanced traffic enforcement program. This is where the RCMP focused on target areas that are known to have issues. One of the biggest areas of concern was the amount of traffice, including large trucks, not adhering to the posted speed on Hwy #1 within town limits.
“We only targeted certain offenses, we didn’t worry about the guy with the burnout taillight, or the guy whose license plate was obstructed, we were looking at the major offenses that we know statistically decrease accidents and injuries and death on the road,” said Reilly.
Policing of the rodeo went smoothly, and there was a reduction in the number of complaints and incidences that normally occur.
“Part of it is we know how to do the targeted patrols during that rodeo, I have been here long enough to know when we need and what we need to do and where to cover and how to get the members out there, and the members have done that,” said Reilly.
Looking ahead into 2015, he says they plan to keep working on improving the crime reduction unit. He would also like to see more bike patrols out when the weather is nice, something he has always believed makes a huge impact. Reilly would also like to see an RCMP regimental ball come to Strathmore. It is something he has been working on, but is not sure yet when it will come to Strathmore.