Following up on a Maclean’s magazine report, that ranks Red Deer as the fifth most dangerous place in Canada, Red Deer RCMP shed light Monday on issues relating to crime in the city.
Ken Foster, Red Deer RCMP superintendent, said the ongoing opioid crisis, prolific offenders, location of the city and the economic downturn are some of the reasons why Red Deer is gripped with crime.
The same reasons that attract legitimate businesses to Red Deer, attract the illegitimate ones, too, he said.
Speaking of the recently released Maclean magazine’s report, he said, the report depicts numbers from 2016 and not 2017 — when Red Deer was right in the thick of economic challenges. According to the Macleans.ca website, the report is based on 2016 data released in July 2017 by Statistics Canada.
He said that’s why the crime severity index (CSI), as stated in the report, is higher than the previous year’s.
“We know in 2015-16 we saw a significant increase in crimes in Red Deer that we feel are attributed fairly close to the economic downturn,” said Foster.
A young, transient, male population might be another reason why the city has concerns around crime.
“Statistically, young males commit more crime than any other demographic,” he said. “I don’t say that to be rude, but it’s a fact.”
The economic challenges didn’t help the masses who probably came here looking for jobs. Foster said people received lay off notices, but their addictions didn’t, and they tend to find ways to fuel those addictions.
Foster said the ongoing opioid concerns throughout the province and in Canada is a societal issue, and although police plays a part in it, so do other agencies.
For those concerned about safety in Red Deer, Foster’s advise is to exercise caution like you would in any other city or community.
“I share their (public’s) concerns, in any community you have to be somewhat responsible for your own safety,” he said.
Break-and-enters are still a concern, but the police are working on it, he said. The police have laid charges, but it’s a type of crime that’s hard to pro-actively deter or detect.
“You can sneak in a back alley, kick in a door and be out of there or you can smash a window, grab something and you’re gone in 15 seconds,” he said.
Some of the precautionary measures residents can take include parking in well-lit areas at night and avoiding dark alleyways.
Some Red Deer RCMP programs, like their Pinpoint policing strategies have curbed crime, said Foster.
In 2017, sexual assault and armed robbery numbers have dropped and property crime is growing but at a slower rate than last year, he said.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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