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Property crime continues to be an issue

Property crime and vehicle theft continue to be a problem in the area. Added as an addition to the Feb. 6 agenda, Barrhead RCMP Detachment commander, Sgt.
Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds says 12 vehicles have been stolen from the County of Barrhead and surrounding areas in the first six days of 2018.
Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds says 12 vehicles have been stolen from the County of Barrhead and surrounding areas in the first six days of 2018.

Property crime and vehicle theft continue to be a problem in the area.

Added as an addition to the Feb. 6 agenda, Barrhead RCMP Detachment commander, Sgt. Bob Dodds, made his comment to County of Barrhead councillors and opined that he believed the ongoing vehicle thefts and property crimes are tied to drugs.

“The numbers seem to be going up across the board. It has been the same story for a couple of years now,” Dodds said, noting property crimes totaled 664 in 2017 — a marked increase from the 520 incidents reported to the Barrhead RCMP in 2013 and added motor vehicle thefts totaled 106.

“I remember thinking it was horrendous to lose 70 ATVs in Fort Nelson in one year but this … this is obscene. So far, this year? We’ve had 12 vehicles stolen, eight of which were running or had the keys in them. People that are ducking into the coffee shop to get a beverage, or the bank to hit their ATMs, when they come out again their vehicles are gone. Chances are, you’re walking right past the people stealing them.”

Dodds said it is high time people started getting the message.

“Up to and including the one stolen around midnight last night [Feb. 5], in the majority of these cases, the keys are in the vehicles. We haven’t yet determined whether the keys were in the last vehicle stolen, but it is suspected. I know it is cold outside and we like to let our vehicles run, but we need to put a stop to this. We are going to see people die because of this.”

Dodds said the uptick in property crimes is taxing the detachment.

“Unfortunately we’ve seen a big drop off over the last two years in the numbers of convictions for impaired driving. We’re too busy with property crimes. What’s driving this? Drugs. Last year, we had 47 narcotics-related files — not inconsistent with the five-year average but if we could get those numbers up, we could start to bring our crimes down. But we don’t have the time to do the proactive stuff because we’re too busy with this other issue,” he said, adding between false alarms, abandoned 911 calls and property crime, it has been a tough winter.

“We haven’t seen any real drastic problems in other areas, but 12 vehicles in six days is ridiculous. If we could take the keys out of the vehicles, we would accomplish a lot more than we are.”

On a question from Coun. Bill Lane regarding assaults and whether the popular hashtag #MeToo is playing a part in the rise of charges being laid, Dodds agreed.

“I think the movement has definitely raised awareness of this issue and is, most likely, having an impact. It’s a good thing. Whether the offence was committed 20 years ago, or yesterday, it doesn’t matter. If it happened 20 years ago, its likely there are many more victims. It’s a problem that is everywhere and one we, as a society, need to address firmly.” Dodds added.

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