Project Lock Up launched in order to help with Alberta’s rural crime issues
On February 5, Alberta RCMP Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki and Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, Kathleen Ganley announced the launch of Project Lock Up.
“Project Lock Up is truly an intelligence-led and collaborative approach to Albertans who have been victimized by break and enters,” Supt. Peter Tewfik, Officer in Charge of Crime Reduction Strategies for the Alberta RCMP, said. “find the people who need the most support and along with our partners, work with them to ensure they are never targeted again.”
The new, victim-focused initiative will bring law enforcement agencies and citizen-led crime prevention groups together to provide an enhanced and escalating response to Albertans who have been hit hardest by break and enters.
“Our data indicates that 15 percent of addresses in Alberta RCMP detachments represent 32 per cent of all break and enter incidents,” Fraser Logan, the Alberta RCMP Media Relations Manager, said. “That means one third of break and enter incidents are subject to repeated victimization.”
Property crimes such as break and enters, auto theft and theft over and under $5,000 is down overall compared with 2017. Province-wide, in RCMP Jurisdictions, property crime is down 8; in rural detachments, property crime is down 10%; and in municipal detachments, property crime is down 6%, but Logan says that there is always room for improvement on those numbers.
“In Alberta RCMP detachments, this means 480 less homes broken into, 1,257 fewer cars stolen, and 3,442 fewer thefts,” Logan said.
“However, we know from past studies that locations that have been targeted repeatedly have a significantly higher likelihood of being targeted again and that the type of offenders who commit repeat break and enters are among the most established of criminals.
The RCMP says that Project Lock Up is based on two similar projects in the U.K., the Huddersfield Project (which existed from 1994 to 1996) and MetTrace Project, which resulted in residential break and enters dropping by approximately 30 per cent in targeted areas.
A recent Alberta RCMP analysis indicated that 15 percent of places broken into represent 32 percent of all break and enters, meaning that one third of these properties have been broken into more than once and could be targeted in the future.
Project Lock Up was launched in conjunction with Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta, Alberta Sheriffs, Alberta Community Peace Officers, Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officers, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Branch, Alberta Rural Crime Watch Association, Alberta Citizens on Patrol, and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“Almost a year ago we launched our seven-point action plan to combat rural crime with the RCMP,” Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Kathleen Ganley said. “since then, we have seen a significant drop in property across rural Alberta. We will continue building on that momentum, working with our law enforcement agencies and citizen-led organizations, to support safe communities.”
According to the RCMP, Project Lock Up’s initiative will consist of four key components: more patrols in the hardest hit places, enhanced victim support, additional tools for repeat victims, and an enhanced investigative response.
“I want Albertans to know that they can count on the RCMP,” Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki, Commanding Officer in the Alberta RCMP, said. “are listening to the communities we serve. With the help of our partners, Project Lock Up enables us to respond to the individuals who have been affected most by property crime.”
The collaboration between agencies on this project began when RCMP Crime Reduction Analysts produced a report of actionable information related to repeat victims of break and enters and crime hotspots.
This data was based on an analysis from calls for service from the public and based on that initial information, Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta will conduct a deeper analysis and distribute information including crime trends, repeat victims and repeat offenders to all agencies involved in the project. The RCMP, in turn, will use the information to help them in patrol.
Having more information about crime readily available will allow for law enforcement agencies to provide better support to victims of crime. Improved support will include more detailed follow-up communication, better understanding of incidents, and crime prevention advice will also be provided to victims. Additionally, arrangements may be made for customized home security assessments to help prevent future incidents.
“Alberta's home and auto insurers are committed to reducing crime and we are proud to be a partner in Project Lock Up,” says Henry Tso, Vice-President of Investigative Services for the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“Canada’s insurance industry lives in these communities and care deeply about these roots. We want to work with all partners to do everything we can to reduce the incidents of thefts across the province.”
The Trace Pen, a property marking device, has also been created with the hope that stolen property can be reunited with the proper owner and that those involved in the theft of said property can be properly identified and held accountable.
“Property owners are advised to take photos of their personal property as well as have serial numbers on record,” Logan said. “If you become the victim of property theft these pieces of information can greatly aid in identifying and returning goods to the rightful owner.”
Such devices, the RCMP says are available through local Citizens on Patrol and Rural Crime Watch groups. Logan says that the property marking pens are funded by the Government of Alberta and purchased by the RCMP and that for the launch of the initiative, Alberta RCMP has purchased 250 pens for $6,800.
"Simple changes such as ensuring you have an up-todate inventory of your property and using identifying markers can help reduce thefts in Alberta,” Tso said.
To further help reduction of thefts, Alberta RCMP Detachments will utilize the assistance of the Alberta RCMP Forensic Identification Services unit in their focus on arresting criminals operating in targeted areas.
Logan says that the Alberta RCMP has already been implemented several initiatives from the Crime Reduction Strategy including District Crime Reduction Units, an Intelligence Program, a Police Reporting and Occurrence System (PROS) Data Centre, and a Call-Back Unit.
Crime Reduction Units, Logan says, are comprised of regular members, analysts and clerks who target repeat offenders and address repeat crime trends to reduce impact of crime in communities across Alberta.
The Intelligence Program has specialized intelligence coordinators within the units to analyze data and provide information that leads to arrests. Data centre teams within the units will handle records management and routine data entry to allow frontline officers to focus on policing communities.
“Preliminary results show every call to the PROS Data Centre saves an officer 40 minutes of paperwork,” Logan says.
To help officers further, there is also a Call-Back Unit, a specialized team designed to handle non-emergency calls for service to create efficiencies and better align its processes. The Call-Back Unit is also able to help walk property owners through a basic security assessment over the phone.
“The CBUs, one in Edmonton and one in Calgary, have diverted and answered 2,131 calls for service rather than dispatching to front line members which realized a savings of 5,043 person hours, equaling a year’s worth of workload of over four General Duty Constables,” Logan says.
Logan emphasizes that community partnerships are also essential to crime prevention and promoting awareness about it, so the Alberta RCMP continues to work with community partners such as Rural Crime Watch (RCW) and Citizens on Patrol (COP) to promote crime prevention awareness in communities throughout the province.
“Rural Crime Watch and Citizens On Patrol volunteers support the Crime Reduction Strategy by acting as an extra set of “eyes and ears” in their communities,” Logan says. “To protect yourself, your family and your property: Lock it up! This means locking vehicles, the doors to your homes and your sheds. Remove the keys from your vehicles; do not leave your vehicle running in your driveway. For larger farm lands, secure all your equipment, tools and goods in a safe place; do not leave them in the yard.”
Logan stresses that even if people spot a crime being committed, they should not attempt to pursue the suspect themselves, as the police do not want to see people getting hurt. The right thing to do when you see something suspicious is to call the police immediately.