Crime in St. Albert continues to trend downward.
Staff Sgt. Dwayne Moore, interim detachment commander, delivered his quarterly report to city council Dec. 3.
It shows Criminal Code charges are down nine per cent for the period July to September compared to 2023, but there are more significant dips in specific categories, including:
- Drugs, down 42 per cent
- Federal and provincial act charges, down 26 and 25 per cent respectively
- Motor vehicle collisions, down 25 per cent
- Traffic infractions down 24 per cent from 758 to 573, but CC traffic charges up 23 per cent from 26 to 32
The most recent full year statistics included in the report show CC charges increased seven per cent from 2022 to 2023.
Moore also told council the RCMP would be launching a public consultation tool sometime next year.
“We look forward to that,” Moore said. “It’s another tool to solicit feedback with the goal of increasing transparency in policing … and becoming a more open RCMP.”
St. Albert’s approved force remains 75 officers with 56 working, nine on leave and 11 “hard vacancies” open and ready to be filled, according to the report. The RCMP’s staffing plan for 2024-25 is based on 60 FTE officers.
RCMP staffing cost the city just over $6 million in the first nine months of the year, including $4.2 million in direct costs the detachment has control over, and $2.8 million in indirect costs that it doesn't, such as employee benefits, recruitment and cadet training.
