Grainswest - Winter 2019

Winter 2019 Grains West 32 FEATURE representing 20,000 members. President Cor De Wit is a beekeeper who operates close to the Edmonton International Airport. He explained many APRCWA associations are clustered around the QE2 Highway corridor, while the northern and southern portions of the province are not as well covered due to their size and lower populations. The rural crime issue has re-energized the group and awareness of its activities has grown, though he said membership hasn’t yet increased substantially as a result. The organization has traditionally operated as extra eyes and ears for the RCMP, and this remains the case. Members are focused on passive patrolling—reporting suspicious people and vehicles when they spot them. What has changed is the APRCWA’s expanded focus on public education, crime awareness and prevention. Started last year by the Leduc Nighthawks, Leduc Rural Crime Watch Association and Alberta Citizens On Patrol Association (ACOPA), the Lock It or Lose It campaign is an anti- vehicle-theft program that has gone provincewide. De Wit said simply using tamper-proof screws to secure licence plates can stop theft. For instance, he explained, a criminal will steal a three- quarter-ton truck and outfit it with a stolen licence plate from a similar truck. When police run the plate number, it doesn’t come up stolen. “Keys in the ignition is another huge issue,” noted De Wit. Along with removing the keys from quads, trucks and implements, the group encourages people to record serial numbers. He emphasized police can do nothing when they find stolen goods if no one has reported themmissing. Also partnering with the RCMP and Rural Crime Watch, ACOPA volunteers conduct active patrols in and around rural communities. President Garth Kohlsmith, who ran a local bowling alley for 28 years, heads the Westlock chapter. He pegged membership at close to 2,000 with approximately 75 established chapters and eight more in the application process. He explained these citizens must first pass a background check followed by some training. From there, patrols generally meet with an RCMP liaison prior to hitting the streets of small towns and the roads between them. Two-member teams typically make their rounds at night in cars bearing the organization’s logo. While they phone in what they see, and officers are dispatched if a crime in progress is reported, Kohlsmith said the patrol program creates a show of vigilance that’s a crime deterrent in itself. “Criminals see us and they know we’ll report them. They all know who we are.” With the additional willingness to read a training manual and devote six or seven late-night hours a month to the cause, anyone can join, he explained. Despite the positive statistics, many remain skeptical that the situation is improving. While Scott advised property owners to lock up homes and vehicles, and secure farmyards, she offered reassurance that the RCMP is on the case. “We are hearing your concerns. Trust us. We’re trained, we’re out there more than ever and we’re catching the guys doing these crimes.” De Wit said that in his area, peace of mind has increased as the crime rate dropped to half of what it was a year prior and there had been no vehicle thefts for three months. “I just hope that people don’t stop being vigilant,” he cautioned. “That’s the secret here—to make sure we don’t drop our guard.”