Residents of the quaint municipal district of Bonnyville, Alta. took to council to express their concerns over rising rural crime and inaction from federal authorities to address repeat offenders.
A recent rural crime wave last week sparked a cry for help among the district’s council members and residents who said they feel unsafe and unprotected by the current justice system.
Chief Administrative Officer Al Hoggan said the federal government is responsible for setting the legislation that affects how crime is dealt with and that the issue has become politicized.
He warned that there is no quick fix and that the voters will have to decide in the next federal election if they want a change.
“This is as much a political problem as much as a crime reduction problem. This is federal legislation,” said Hoggan.
“Whether or not the federal government has any inclination to change the direction that they’ve currently been going in, it will be a question that the voters will be asked to deal with within the next couple of years.”
One of the residents who appealed for help was Dustin Mortin, who had his truck stolen for the second time a month ago.
He said he and his wife are constantly on edge and that he feels helpless and frustrated as a result of the crime wave.
“I don’t know where to go,” said Mortin. “Everybody wants something done, but nobody knows how to get it done.”
According to Mortin, the combined value of the two trucks stolen was over a quarter million dollars.
Hoggan suggested that the council should request a meeting with Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery and invite some of the affected residents to share their experiences and concerns.
He also blasted the provincial government for not doing enough to act on the issue.
