Rural Alberta towns are desperate for a solution after a surge in property crime has affected residents and local businesses, as RCMP data show.
From January to June 2023, Airdrie, Alta. saw a 73% spike in break and enters compared to the year prior.
Lac La Biche also experienced a spike in break and enters and vehicle thefts, with both crimes rising by over 40%.
Cpl. James McConnell with the Airdrie RCMP said there was no one simple cause of the increases.
He added that often a few individuals are responsible for a large number of offences.
“It seems like it’s not proportional, but we would expect to see an increase in that type of crime with an increase in population,” said McConnell.
In Lac La Biche, business owners in the industrial area have been targeted by thieves who break into their properties and steal their vehicles.
Lac La Biche Coun. John Mondal pointed to a confluence of factors behind the recent crime wave, including economic hardship.
“Inflation has a lot to do with it. Job losses have a lot to do with it,” Mondal said.
“And this is catch and release. Which means the RCMP does their job, they bring the person to the justice system, but then they get released. That is one of the major factors.”
To fight back against crime, the community has created a network on social media to share information and advocate for change, but residents feel abandoned by a justice system that releases criminals to reoffend.
One of the business owners, Darrell Cadieux, said town residents use WhatsApp to communicate with each other and report any suspicious activity.
He said he also installed a surveillance system that helped him identify a truck that was involved in a theft attempt at his lot.
“During Covid, things kind of simmered down a bit. But then, my gosh, last fall it started taking off and from there we’ve just about tripled in the county. We’ve got everybody in both these industrial parks, and I’ll probably expand it a bit larger,” said Cadieux.
“It’s important because just knowing what is going on with your neighbours gives you a little bit of knowledge and some peace of mind in some respects.”
