By Alex McCuaig

Rural crime

“It`s all connected,“ says MHPS chief when it come to tackling rural, urban crime

Nov 3, 2019 | 12:19 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – Medicine Hat’s police chief says the best way to tackle rural crime is through coordination between urban and rural police agencies, adding that separating the issue from criminal behaviour found in cities is shortsighted.

“Organized crime, drugs, crime in rural Alberta – it’s all connected,” said Medicine Hat police Chief Andy McGrogan. “So, to take one unit and put it over here and say you’re going to fight rural crime separately from what’s going on with organized crime, drugs and what ALERT (Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team) is already doing is myopic and I think we can work together a lot better there.”

McGrogan says he is still awaiting details as to how and what aspects of enforcement the announced increase to ALERT funding will be allocated. The provincial budget released last month announced an increase of $50 million over four years to the crime fighting group made up of RCMP, city police from across the province as well as First Nations services and Alberta Sheriffs.

McGrogan said the connections between rural crime and that occurring in the cities is demonstrable and, “the perfect way to reduce rural crime is to involve the municipalities because most of the criminals are living in the cities, going out and stealing from the country folks.”

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The city police’s successful priority street crime unit is one example of how Medicine Hat has been able to be seen by the public to be tackling nagging crime issues, something McGrogan was quick to add is possible to continue thanks to the province not cutting policing grants.

But it’s also a model which could be expanded to tackle the rural crime issue in the province, he added.

“I really see an opportunity to build on that priority street crimes team through ALERT, regionalize it, bring some RCMP in and we can work together,” said McGrogan.

Medicine Hat was originally scheduled to host Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer and his cross-province tour to discuss the rural crime issue with those affected on Sept. 30. That stop was postponed due to a snowstorm that hit the region.

A new date has yet to be scheduled but the tour has been extended and is set to continue this week with a stop in Rocky Mountain House on Thursday.