The Village of Alix council stated that they’d like to see a fully staffed RCMP detachment to service their community. Annual RCMP detachment priorities were discussed at the May 6 regular meeting of council.

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Michelle White provided councillors with a request from the Bashaw RCMP detachment, which includes Alix in its coverage area. White noted that Cpl. Grant Glasier forwarded a letter asking the village council to provide a list of areas they’d like to see police place priority on.

Rural RCMP detachments in Alberta annually make this request of municipal councils. It’s not to say these priorities are the only work rural RCMP do, but rather input on how council feels the community should be policed.

The CAO noted in her report that the Government of Alberta also requires a community priority plan.

Coun. Ed Cole, himself a retired RCMP officer, said he’d like to see the Bashaw detachment staffed to full strength.

At an Apr. meeting of Bashaw town council, councillors heard the quarterly update from Cpl. Glasier regarding their RCMP detachment. He noted the detachment is coping with a number of sick leaves but is getting relief through an RCMP program that brings extra police officers to the community. “There is no cost to the Bashaw RCMP, towns or counties,” stated Glasier’s report.

Glasier noted in his report that crimes against persons in the Bashaw detachment area were down 16 per cent, but property crime was up 104 per cent.

Coun. Frank Laneuville stated he’d like to see a bit more “night presence,” or RCMP visibility at hours other than 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Laneuville stated he doesn’t see RCMP officers in Alix very often after hours.

Mayor Barb Gilliat noted she likes to see RCMP involved in the community, such as attending the Alix-MAC School.

Coun. Rob Fehr agreed with Gilliat, adding that the more time RCMP spend in Alix, the more they get to know the people there and the better the relationship between the two groups becomes.

Fehr observed rising police costs being passed along to municipalities by the Government of Alberta, and said communities want to get a good return on that investment.

During discussion, more councillors agreed that public education and community involvement would be good priorities for RCMP in Alix.

They also discussed “hot spot” followup, meaning police concentration on areas known to be at risk of, involved in or attracting a lot of crime.

Councillors unanimously passed a resolution to forward their priorities to Cpl. Glasier.

The CAO advised that concerns over Bashaw detachment staffing levels should probably be sent to higher-ups in RCMP K Division in Edmonton. Councillors unanimously passed a resolution to send a letter of concern about Bashaw detachment staffing levels to RCMP K Division.