Recorded crime declines in Wheatland while fraud reports nearly double

By Melissa Crispin-Piche Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wheatland County recorded fewer Criminal Code offences in the first nine months of 2026 than in the same period last year, although fraud moved sharply in the opposite direction.

County-wide RCMP figures included in the Oct. 20 council agenda package show 267 offences from January through September, down from 306 in 2025.

That is a decline of 39 offences, or about 13 per cent. Break-ins fell from 29 to 13, a reduction of more than half. Fraud rose from 14 to 27, nearly doubling.

The figures describe recorded offences, rather than convictions, and do not establish why the numbers changed.

The increase in fraud also does not identify which schemes account for the additional reports. Further detail from RCMP would be needed to establish whether particular scams or other forms of fraud are driving the increase.

The overall decline and the rise in fraud tell different parts of the county’s crime picture: fewer offences were recorded in total, while one category accounted for substantially more reports.

The agenda package also contains detachment-level statistics covering different geographic boundaries. Those figures should be distinguished from the county-wide totals when comparing communities or reporting trends.