RCMP present Q2 report for council information
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Strathmore RCMP Staff Sgt. Mark Wielgosz presented the 2024-25 Q2 policing report to Town of Strathmore council during the Dec. 11 regular meeting for council’s information.
The purpose of the report serves to outline the priorities for the community and provides an overview of the RCMP’s accomplishments throughout the year.
Wielgosz explained Q2 is representative of the local detachment’s community safety efforts spanning July 1, to Sept. 30.
“We are still making progress with all of our three priorities; the first of that being the reduction of property crimes by seeking to either maintain or reduce theft of motor vehicles, break and enters, and theft from motor vehicles by up to five per cent from the six-year average,” he said. “Our regular crime prevention activities are in place … that being the habitual offender management program which remains quite successful. We monitored 12 offenders through Quarter 2. Our persons of interest program remains in effect as well as our other crime prevention activities.”
Strathmore RCMP maintain partnerships with the Calgary Police Service, Federal Parole Board, Provincial Probation Officers and RCMP Intelligence units. These partnerships are leveraged in order to remain cognizant of offenders travelling in and out of Strathmore, as well as the surrounding area.
This program is carried out by the Strathmore General Investigation section, consisting of members strategically focused on drug trafficking activity, serious persons crimes, habitual offender management, and high value property crime in both rural and municipal areas.
“We are below our historical lows for Quarter 2 for theft of motor vehicles, the same yet again, we are below our historical lows for theft from motor vehicles,” said Wielgosz. “At this point in time, we are at six-year lows for Quarter 2 in all three measurable areas for property crimes, and again, in no small measure as a result of the ongoing efforts of our members to execute the community safety and crime prevention programs that we have in place.”
This quarter, three check stops were conducted in Strathmore and in the surrounding area, resulting in two Immediate Roadside Sanction (IRS) contraventions and two 72-hour suspensions. Through these checks, approximately 262 vehicles were checked.
Members of Strathmore’s RCMP also conduct foot patrols through licensed establishments in order to maximize visibility in an effort to prevent, detect, and deter criminal activities such as gaming, liquor, and cannabis act infractions, illicit drug offences and impaired driving.
The full report is publicly available both through Town of Strathmore council’s meeting agenda for Dec. 11, as well as on their YouTube channel.