RCMP watch clerk renewed for another year

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

On Feb. 5, Sgt. Dennis Delaronde, Acting Commander of Strathmore RCMP detachment, came to Wheatland County council to relate his belief that the funding of the rural watch clerk position has made a significant difference in the ability of officers to deal with crime.
“There are two schools of thought on it. The more police that are out there, the more calls there are going to be,” said Delaronde. “It is contrary to what everyone would think, that more police out there, the more people would be less inclined to do things they shouldn’t be doing.”
He said having more time to devote to community surveillance increases the statistics they have time to register. He said overall statistics had almost doubled, from 1,489 to 2,309, from the last quarter of 2017 and 2018.
Delaronde said the watch clerk program allows officers to patrol more, instead of being tied down to documentation duties. He said decreases in vehicle theft and break and enter had been recorded, and extra patrols have helped decrease crimes of opportunity.
“Significant events have decreased, where the self-generated stuff has increased,” said Delaronde. “Again, I attribute that to members being on the road more and being available for calls, and that comes about solely in my opinion because of the watch clerks.”
While the watch clerk deals with administrative matters, Delaronde clarified they were actually a senior position, working and training closely with officers as their duties require a good understanding of court and criminal processes. He also said the quality of file review has improved due to the diligence of the clerks employed. He said it leaves officers no excuse to delay taking to the road and increases the ability to designate an officer for specific coverage.
On Feb. 19, when council considered funding the watch clerk for 2019-20, Wheatland County councillors were not totally convinced the decrease in crime statistics was solely due to the new watch clerk positions. However, they felt it might be premature to terminate funding. Reeve Amber Link said she has heard feedback from residents that they have noticed more police presence in the communities. Council passed funding the position for another year at an approximate cost of $65,000.