No clear answer as rural crime rises

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/12/2023 (1003 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — In the dead of night, Petersfield Motor Hotel owner Amrinder Mann got an alert notification on his cellphone that someone was breaking into his business.

He jumped out of bed, called 911 and got in his vehicle, rushing to the building in an attempt to confront the perpetrator.

However, by time he got there, the thief had chained up the hotel’s ATM and ripped it off its concrete base, before getting away with the cash machine. RCMP showed up seven minutes later.

The Nov. 17 incident in the small community some 50 kilometres north of Winnipeg marks one of 20 ATMs stolen from hotels and gas stations in the Interlake region over the last two months, according to machine supplier Michael Iwaszkiw.

“It’s really disheartening,” Iwaszkiw told the Winnipeg Free Press.

Rural crime reports are on the rise in Manitoba, with some blaming a lack of policing and others are pointing to the bail system.

Since the incident, Mann now stands watch at his hotel long after it closes to the public for the night. “We are a small businesses and we cannot afford to have 24-hour security,” he said.

Statistics released by Manitoba RCMP show property crime increased in all districts across the province in October, compared to the same time last year.

Theft in the police service’s west and north districts increased by five per cent, while offences in its east district jumped by 23 per cent (1,149 calls for service from 937).

Meanwhile, community members say they’re making up for a lack of RCMP monitoring.

Kerry McInnes joined the Citizens on Patrol program in Oak Bluff nearly three years ago, and spent hours of his own time patrolling his neighbourhood southwest of Winnipeg for suspect behaviour.

“We noticed an absence of (police) patrols … just think what the criminals would notice,” McInnes said.

In 2020, McInnes spotted a group piloting three pickup trucks attempting to plunder lumber from a home development. With no answer from the RCMP non-emergency line (the number COP patrols use to report activity), McInnes took matters into his own hands and shone his vehicle’s searchlight at the would-be thieves. They fled empty-handed.

While the 70 year old no longer volunteers with the program, the Oak Bluff resident said he has noted increased crime in the area.

“There’s no patrols, there’s nobody looking out at all … We used to see RCMP patrol cars here all the time. We don’t anymore.”

A recent poll conducted by Probe Research for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities revealed a majority of respondents feel less safe in their communities than they did three years ago.

The survey showed 62 per cent of southern Manitoba community residents and 45 per cent of rural and northern peers feel less safe. Nearly four in 10 indicated there has been no change in their community’s level of safety and five per cent of respondents believe they are living in a now-safer place.

AMM president Kam Blight fears vigilantism will fill the gaps created by fewer RCMP officers patrolling.

“People are concerned and they’re fed up, and they’re trying to protect their property and their family,” he said. “And it’s the only way they can because the RCMP is unable to do so right now because of the lack of resources.”

Troubles recruiting officers has contributed to a 7.5 per cent vacancy rate within the Mounties, RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Julie Courchaine said, adding dealing with repeat offenders has also been tying up resources.

While there has been no noticeable uptick in vigilante justice, Courchaine urged the public to call in any activity instead of dealing with it privately.

“We want to do it properly. We want to know someone’s committing a criminal offence. We want to find that person and we want to make an arrest.”

Meanwhile, the reeve of the Rural Municipality of Hanover pointed to the “catch-and-release” method within the province’s criminal justice system as a factor in increasing rural crime rates.

Jim Funk said the southeast Manitoba RM has experienced an “exceptional amount” of crime. Petty theft, as well as stolen vehicles and machinery are driving incident rates in Hanover, the reeve said.

Funk also pointed to illicit drugs as a driving force in rural crime stats. “People who want to keep up with their needs will steal to do it.”

During their recent provincial election campaign, the New Democrats promised to address policing shortages by funnelling more money into municipal police budgets. Party leader Wab Kinew said an NDP government would tighten bail conditions to address the release of repeat offenders.

The NDP secured a majority government Oct. 3.

Blight said while there’s no magic solution to increasing crime in rural areas, something’s got to give.

“There’s so many different things that are required in this, but we need to start taking a serious stance on being tougher on crime, but also being there to get to the root causes of crime.”

» Winnipeg Free Press