Year over year stats from the Grande Prairie RCMP shows a fairly significant drop in the number of theft-related crimes in and around Grande Prairie.
Police say reports of break and enters dropped to 20 in July 2021, down from 34 a year earlier. Meanwhile, 16 reports of theft from a motor vehicle crossed Mountie’s desks this past July, down from a staggering 86 from July 2020.
Possession of stolen property and theft from motor vehicle reports were also down in July 2021 from July 2020, by approximately 60 and 40 per cent, respectively.
Sgt. Shawn Graham says seeing individual crime reports dropping is always a good thing and points to an overall police interaction count, also seeing a heavy decrease from 2794 to 2430 as another sign that tactics, including prevention measures, can and do work.
“Hopefully it’s due to education getting out there to people regarding how to keep their valuables safe, and also just people being aware of what’s going on around them and calling into us if there are suspicious people,” he says.
“Engaged is probably a pretty good way to describe it, and people really care about their communities and neighbours,” he adds.
Graham says it’s important for residents in the city and rural areas around the County of Grande Prairie to trust their gut when it comes to things that seem out of the ordinary. He adds if it doesn’t seem right to you, or seems suspicious, it’s important to give police a call.
“It might not be anything, but if we can’t get there and prevent theft in general, it’s a good thing,” he says. “It is a community approach I think, and our community in the Grande Prairie area are doing a great job.”
