Strathmore RCMP reflect on 2024
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Strathmore RCMP Staff Sgt. Mark Wielgosz reflected on 2024 and reported significant drops to criminal code offences over the course of the calendar year.
“As far as 2024 is concerned, generally across the board, we look at our municipal crime stats, being in the Town of Strathmore and our rural crime stats … we saw our greatest reductions in, across the board essentially, for the Town of Strathmore last year,” he said. “Versus the year prior, we have had an overall 24 per cent decrease in criminal code offences. I can attribute much of that progress to the hard work of our members who are out there every day working on our crime reduction and prevention initiatives.”
These include targeted activities such as the habitual offender management program, as well as the home safety initiatives within the Town of Strathmore.
Wielgosz added the Strathmore RCMP observed five-year lows with crime numbers across the board from property crimes to persons crimes.
In local rural areas patrolled by Strathmore RCMP, some increases in offences were observed, though no more than five per cent compared to the previous year.
“Most of that is occurring generally within the close proximity around Calgary, and they will be targeting vehicles for auto theft and business break and enters along some of our industrial areas in those zones,” said Wielgosz. “We are obviously going to be paying attention to 2025 to make sure that we are tackling those challenges and dealing with them as best we can to see those rates coincide more with what we are looking at targeting in our five- and six-year crime averages.”
A significant component of ongoing prevention, detection and deterrence activities is in public education. Messaging with respect to preventing crimes of opportunity is being distributed throughout the local region in an effort to reduce auto theft, theft from motor vehicles, and other property crimes.
Among the programs rolled out by the detachment in 2024 was Operation Cold Start, which will be operating again through 2025. This involved RCMP members patrolling the community and checking unattended vehicles which had been left running to ensure they were locked.
In instances where a running vehicle was left unlocked, members would make inquiries to identify the owner and initiate a conversation to ensure the vehicle was safeguarded.
“I think overall with some of our crime prevention initiatives – our habitual crime management program in particular, I really do think we have set a bit of a reputation, or perhaps at least some knowledge that Strathmore is well protected and perhaps that other locations are probably more viable for persons who are looking to commit crime,” said Wielgosz.
He added the Strathmore detachment aims to continue its priorities which it has executed over the last three years since his arrival. This includes the continued reduction of theft of, and from motor vehicles, as well as increased road safety.
“We still treat all levels of crime in the community importantly, and just because we have certain areas of crime that we have listed as our priorities does not mean that we do not equally investigate others,” he said.
Wielgosz added if there is feedback from the public regarding where they would like to see their police service in the community focusing their time with respect to specific offences, they are encouraged to be in touch with the detachment, as well as to attend community engagement sessions planned to take place throughout the year.