Alberta Rural Crime Watch Association president Rosemary Lindsay made a presentation on the organization Thursday at the Claresholm Community Centre. Discussions are under way to form an association in the MD of Willow Creek.
A new organization is being formed to reduce crime in the MD of Willow Creek.
An organizational meeting for Rural Crime Watch is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20 at Claresholm Community Centre.
That decision followed a Rural Crime Watch presentation Thursday.
“We want to hit while the iron is hot, get people interested and see where we can go,” said Maryann Sandberg, reeve of the MD of Willow Creek, which hosted the presentation.
Informal discussions have been held with representatives of Fort Macleod Rural Crime Watch about it becoming part of an organization that would span the municipal district.
At Thursday’s meeting at the Claresholm Community Centre, Sgt. Chris Lafleur of Fort Macleod RCMP welcomed the start of a new Rural Crime Watch.
The RCMP will act on any information it receives from Rural Crime Watch.
“At the end of the day you’re helping us help you guys,” Lafleur said. “We’ll welcome any help we can get.”
Cpl. Tom Nairn, who has command of the Nanton and Claresholm RCMP detachments, agreed that no piece of information is too small to pass along.
“It could be the missing piece of the puzzle,” Nairn said.
The evening began Thursday with a presentation by Rosemary Lindsay, president of the Alberta Rural Crime Watch Association.
“Every crime has three elements,” Lindsay said, listing the victim, criminal and opportunity.
Rural Crime Watch works to help people eliminate the opportunities that criminals look for, by educating people on crime prevention.
Rural Crime Watch also works to promote the idea of people watching out for each other, and reporting any suspicious vehicles or activity in their area.
“If you see something, say something,” Lindsay said. “You know what’s normal and you know what’s not normal. You’re the experts in that area.”
Lindsay said that Rural Crime Watch further serves to deter criminals, by letting them know through signage and promotion that the organization is active in an area.
Rural Crime Watch grew out of a citizen initiative to stop a spate of cattle rustling, and now has 58 active associations with more than 11,000 members in Alberta.
“I’m hoping to make that 59 with this group,” Lindsay told the close to 50 people at Thursday’s meeting.
Lindsay explained the local Rural Crime Watch association holds education sessions for members and shares information through e-mails, phone calls, texts, social media, a crime app and the RCMP app to make people more informed.
The first step to setting up Rural Crime Watch is to hold a meeting with interested people and signing up at least five people to serve on a board.
The group then chooses a name, such as Willow Creek Rural Crime Watch and applies to form a non-profit society.
“It creates a sense of community,” Lindsay said of one of the additional benefits of Rural Crime Watch. “You’re looking out for your community.”
MD of Willow Creek chief administrative officer Derrick Krizsan said the municipality is prepared to provide administrative support to Rural Crime Watch.
Sandberg agreed the MD of Willow Creek is ready to support Rural Crime Watch.
“Council has a strategic plan and part of that strategic plan is the safety of our citizens,” Sandberg said.
Sandberg stressed, however, that Rural Crime Watch must be a citizen-led organization, not a committee of council.
In response to a question, Lindsay said the average Rural Crime Watch membership fee in Alberta is $20.
Associations range in size from 13 to more than 800 members.
Lindsay told the gathering she is encouraged by the turnout as well as council’s support for forming a new Rural Crime Watch association.
“This is an excellent discussion and I would highly encourage you to keep it going,” Lindsay said.
