About 14 were in attendance for an Open House hosted by the Drumheller RCMP at the Drumheller Legion on Thursday, February 27.
The RCMP used the forum to update the community on some of its successes and initiatives throughout the year.
Staff Sergeant Robert Harms shared some statistics that included response time. On average, Drumheller RCMP response times were 13.1 minutes. The provincial average is 13.3 minutes.
Most importantly, he noted that on urgent calls the RCMP in Drumheller responds within 5-10 minutes on 43 per cent of the calls. The provincial average is 35 per cent.
He also showed that in 2024, total criminal code offences have decreased by 24 per cent when compared to 2023, this includes a 26 per cent decrease in persons crime and a 24 percent decrease in property crime; there was a 45 per cent decrease in break and enters.
When looking at the type of calls that RCMP responded to, the top is traffic violations, followed by suspicious persons around property or vehicles. They responded to about 84 false alarms in 2024.
He updated the community about some initiatives including body cams. These were rolled out in the detachment area on February 11. He emphasized that police are trained on how and when to use the body cams, and so far feedback has been good from all sides. The technology helps the police gather evidence, and at the same time protects citizens.
He also highlighted the work of the Regional Police and Crisis Team (RPACT). This is where a health professional and an RCMP officer work in tandem to respond to calls that may need mental health intervention. This has been in place since October of last year.
The meetings are also a way for the RCMP to gauge priorities and are working on setting these for the coming year. Last year’s priorities were crime reduction, with a focus on property crime, public engagement, reducing substance abuse and enhanced road safety.