Council updated on activities of Claresholm RCMP

By Rob Vogt
Claresholm town council was recently updated on the activities of the Claresholm RCMP by the detachment’s new commanding officer.
Sergeant Perry Pelletier appeared as a delegation at council’s Dec. 11 meeting to present the detachment’s quarterly report.
He started by discussing staffing.
The detachment is allocated seven positions – one sergeant; one corporal; and five constables.
Currently they have an acting corporal who is waiting to be promoted to full corporal.
Of the five constables, one is off indefinitely; and one will be going off on paternity leave. With an acting corporal, the detachment may receive another constable as well, bringing the number up to eight total members, but that would only be on paper.
Pelletier then discussed the detachment’s priorities, noting the statistics he was about to present were compiled before he arrived.
The numbers cover the second quarter, which Pelletier noted were a drop from the first quarter.
Those priorities are enhanced road safety; crime reduction; police-community relations and police visibility; and drug enforcement.
Under enhanced road safety, the target was 250 tickets by the end of March, and 111 were issued to date. There were 70 in the first quarter and 41 in the second quarter.
There was a target of 30 impaired driving charges, and four to date, with two in the first quarter and two in the second quarter.
Under crime reduction, there was a target of 30 compliance and curfew checks. There are 15 to date with 15 in the first quarter and none in the second quarter.
There were seven public advisories to date with seven in the first quarter and none in the second quarter.
There was a target of four Operation Street Sweep warrant round-ups with one to date, held in the first quarter with no arrests, and none in the second quarter.
Under community-police relations, there was a target of 40 foot patrols. There were 13 to date with 10 in the first quarter and three in the second quarter.
There have been two enhanced patrols so far, where additional members are brought in on overtime to strictly do enforcement, with both done in the first quarter.
There was also a target of 12 presentations or meetings, with three to date, all in the first quarter.
Under drug enforcement, there was a target of six actions, whether search warrants, investigations or other activity. There have been two to date with both in the first quarter.
Pelletier said he discussed these numbers with the members at their last meeting and the need to increase these numbers.
“The members were somewhat inundated when I got here,” Pelletier said. “I couldn’t believe how busy they were for a town this size.”
He pointed out he came from a town of 18,000 people and the statistics are higher here than they were there, adding things have settled down since then.
He then talked about Criminal Code complaints, explaining there were 212 personal and property offences, with 1,151 total reported occurrences from April 1 to Sept. 30.
Pelletier then asked if there were any questions, and Mayor Brad Schlossberger asked why the numbers dropped so much?
Pelletier said he was not quite sure.
He also advised council that come February, the hubbing between the Claresholm and Nanton detachments will end.
A meeting was held on Nov. 24. After that, it was agreed the two detachments will operate completely separately.
Pelletier concluded by thanking council for their time.
“Any concerns, my door is always open,” he said.