Small-town residents unite to fight rise in thefts

BEISEKER As a recent victim of a rural crime spree northeast of Calgary, Susie Spurgeon understands small communities like hers are targets because of a minimal police presence — and she’s planning to do something about it.

On July 21, Spurgeon awoke to find her work truck, which was parked in front of her house, had been broken into and all the tools and keys inside were missing. She wasn’t alone, as many residents in the Village of Beiseker awoke to find missing items from their vehicles. One car was stolen.

“I’ve been here 20 years now and it used to be nothing to leave your door unlocked. But now, Friday night was the first night that I went out before I went to bed to double check my vehicles to make sure they were all locked,” Spurgeon said.

“I’m sure I’m not the only person in the community who’s doing that now.”

She and others in the community intend to step up safety in the village by starting a Citizens on Patrol group, increasing surveillance on weekends. Spurgeon and her husband were the last two members of a patrol group a few years ago but had to give it up because of the time commitment. She said there is greater interest in bringing it back because of a noticeable increase in crime.

“Our community is starting to watch more for our neighbours and we’re reporting any suspicious activity . ... We need more people to either participate in the Citizens on Patrol or, at least, watch out for your neighbours,” Spurgeon said Sunday.

A while ago, Spurgeon and her husband also had their garage broken into while they were home, losing a $500 compressor. She said they have since installed a security system in their house, but added there are people in the community who might not be able to afford one.

Rural communities rely on the RCMP to respond quickly, but with the Mounties responsible for such a large area, it can result in longer response times.

“Unfortunately, the police are limited. We only have a total of four officers here and they have such a wide area to cover and I’m sure these criminals know that.”

“We need more police coverage in rural areas,” said Spurgeon, who is a medical first responder in the community.

Spurgeon spoke out following an incident Saturday morning, when a thief went to the same house where a car was swiped the week before, to steal the family ’s truck. The owner, whom Postmedia has chosen not to identify, was struck by his truck while trying to stop the thieves. He was taken to a hospital to treat a broken foot and ankle.

The family declined to speak with Postmedia on Sunday.

At last report, police were still on the hunt for two males and a female in connection with the theft. No descriptions of the suspects were available.

Rural residents like Spurgeon aren’t imagining a rise in rural crime. A report from Statistics Canada this month said Alberta has seen rural crime increase 38 per cent higher than urban crime in 2017.

“Almost half of crime in Canada’s rural areas occurred in (Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan), which accounted for about a quarter of Canada’s population served by rural police services,” the report said.

Gary O’Keefe, who was out for an afternoon walk through Beiseker on Sunday with his dog Ginger, said the crime spree was alarming but he understands why rural communities are targets.

“A lot of people here might not lock their vehicles or could leave their keys in their cars, more so than in the city because everybody’s trusting.”