Strathcona County, Alta. – The Strathcona County RCMP is pleased to announce the return of the Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) to the community starting on Jan 17, 2022.
The Crime Reduction Unit will consist of a specialized team of six RCMP members that will target crime through enhanced intelligence gathering and application. These officers, with the support of civilian analysts, will focus on providing actionable intelligence to front line members with increased information sharing amongst enforcement partners.
The Crime Reduction Unit will identify high risk and dangerous prolific offenders and aggressively put a stop to their activities. Property crimes are a priority for the Strathcona County RCMP. This unit is committed to increased inter-agency communication, shared criminal intelligence and a strategic focus on prolific property crimes offenders. The work of the Crime Reduction Unit is an important contribution to our ongoing investment in promoting community safety and wellbeing in Strathcona County.
Property crime, including theft of catalytic converters will be a top priority for the Crime Reduction Unit as it continues to be a crime trend and predominantly a crime of opportunity. In 2021, the Strathcona County RCMP received 184 reports of stolen catalytic converters and in addition 13 files where the theft was attempted.
“We have seen an increase in the number of catalytic converter thefts in our community over the past year,” says Superintendent Dale Kendall of the Strathcona County RCMP. Our detachment, along with our Crime Reduction Unit will be taking a 360 degree approach to this problem by utilizing education, proactive efforts and enforcement to identify those responsible and conducting targeted enforcement initiatives with the goal of reducing property crime.”
“We are very concerned with Catalytic converter theft in our community. It represents thousands of dollars in losses to individuals and organizations. Non-profits lose the use of much needed transportation in offering programs, and must incur large expenses in upgrading security,” says Mayor Rod Frank. “Recently one organization had over $30,000 in related costs and we are encouraged to see the RCMP take this action.”
Cooperation between the RCMP and the public is instrumental to the success of our Crime Reduction efforts. The simple act of reporting any suspicious activity and/or crime provides us with the necessary information by which we gather intelligence.
To report suspicious activity or a crime please contact the Strathcona County RCMP at 780-467-7741 or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the "P3 Tips" app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
Strathcona County Enforcement Services also works with county businesses and non-profit organizations to help them prevent crime through environmental design (CPTED). Consultations can be arranged by contacting 780-449-0170.