Crime was up marginally in 2022 from 2021 for the Peace Regional RCMP.
“Officers in the Peace River region responded to 6,370 calls for service in 2022,” says Const. Mitch Guenette, community liaison officer.
“Overall, there was a slight uptick of around one per cent from the previous year.”
He notes police value partnerships with citizens to help fight crime.
“Proactive patrols, along with detailed community reporting, assists officers with investigating those calls for service,” Guenette says.
Peace Regional RCMP, in consultation with local communities, identified three priorities for 2022 – drug trafficking and organized crime, property crime and police presence in the community. Peace Regional General Investigations Section led several joint investigations with the RCMP Western Alberta Crime Unit, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) and the Emergency Response Team (ERT) that focused on drugs and organized crime throughout the Peace region.
“These projects have produced successful numbers in drug and firearms seized and taken off the streets in the community,” Guenette says.
Peace Regional RCMP conducted a successful Lock It or Lose It campaign that focused on vehicle theft and thefts from vehicles in 2022, he says.
“Officers interacted with many members of the community, spreading awareness in regards to the importance of people locking their vehicles when parked and not in use,” Guenette says.”
Local police remind citizens to be vigilant in the community.
“The Peace Regional RCMP always encourages the public to report suspicious people, activity or vehicles in the area,” Guenette says.
“With regard to police files, the more details that can be provided, such as colour and type of clothing or identifying vehicle make, model and colour go a long way to provide investigators with productive information to achieve a successful end result.”
Last year, the RCMP, the Town of Peace River and Northern Sunrise County conducted a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) walkthrough of the downtown core of Peace River.
“This program is designed to identify environmental flaws or hot spots that can potentially increase crime, such as the lack of lighting in dark alleys or undesirable places where people can sleep or linger,” Guenette says.
Police plan to follow up on what was identified in the walkthrough and what can possibly be improved to prevent or deter crime, he says.
“Overall, the community is the best resource the Peace Regional RCMP have,” Guenette says.
“Accurate and timely reporting is important in all investigations that officers conduct and would not be successful without the assistance from the public.”
Citizens who want to be involved more with the Peace Regional RCMP, he says, are always encouraged to attend local Crime Watch meetings or get active with Crime Watch groups or the local police advisory committee.
by Richard Froese
March 19, 2023
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