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Traffic tickets, property crimes up in Turner Valley

“We have increased our visibility in areas where get complaints.”
WW-RCMP Laser Radar BWC 5248 web
Turner Valley RCMP Const. Marcel Hiemstra performs laser radar speed enforcement on Aug. 28.

A few months after residents identified property crime and speeding as their main concerns, the RCMP report they have issued more traffic tickets and property crime is up slightly, by five per cent.

Turner Valley RCMP reported a tripling of provincial traffic complaints and responses between April and June.

Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Longview and Foothills County residents in the area were surveyed in March 2021 to determine their top concerns.

Turner Valley RCMP Staff Sgt. Laura Akitt said more than 200 people responded and the top responses were property crime and speeding. Sixty per cent of respondents were from Foothills County.

Akitt said the detachment took the respondent’s priorities and made them part of their annual performance plan, or their day-to-day duties.

She said increasing their visibility and encouraging connections between police and citizens has increased reporting of crimes.

Property crimes increased slightly from 118 in 2020 to 124.

“Our work overall is having an effect,” said Akitt.

It is still unclear if COVID is impacting the rate of property crimes, she added.

“It’s probably a combination of everything,” she said, adding as Alberta continues to open up, the effect of COVID restrictions on crime will become more apparent.

She said a combination of complaints from the public and patrols of high traffic areas have resulted in a higher number of traffic tickets over 2020.

“We have increased our visibility in areas where get complaints,” Akitt said. “At Longview with motorcycles and on highways into Kananaskis. We have had traffic stops in and around rodeos to make sure people are not driving intoxicated.”

Highway 7, Highway 22 and Secondary Highway 546 are of particular concern.

In the first quarter between April and June the RCMP responded to 491 Provincial Traffic Code Offences and wrote 101 tickets, up 20 from the previous year during the first quarter.

“The majority were speeding infractions,” Akitt said.

In 2020, Turner Valley RCMP wrote 213 provincial violation tickets over the year.

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