Airdrie saw a 26 per cent increase in the volume of police-reported crime last year, according to figures released by Statistics Canada – though violent crime decreased by almost three per cent.
In addition, Airdrie RCMP Inspector Gordon Sage said the department’s internal numbers indicated a decrease in all categories in the first six months of 2016.
“It’s a good news story that our crime prevention techniques are actually working. When I first came here, things were on the increase. Now, they’re on a slight decrease,” he said. “Every category seems to have peaked in 2015. Now, we’re on a downhill shift.”
Non-violent crime, including robberies and larceny, was up 33 per cent in 2015 compared to 2014. Alyssa Nielsen, who works as a cake artist at the Avenue Cakery and Bakeshoppe on First Avenue, experienced such an instance first-hand this year.
Thieves threw a rock through the front doors of the business in the early morning of March 14 and damaged equipment within the store.
“I’m not particularly surprised because of the way the economy has been. People are desperate,” Nielsen said. “Whether they are coming from Airdrie or outside Airdrie, (crime rates) tend to go up when the economy starts to fail.”
The figures, released July 20 by Statistics Canada, track the Crime Severity Index (CSI) of municipalities and provinces across the country. Airdrie’s increase is in line with all of Alberta, which saw the largest increase in crime among Canadian provinces and territories.
The City of Calgary saw the highest CSI increase in Canada at 29 per cent. Calgary police chief Roger Chaffin attributed some of the increase to drug-related crime.
“To my end, as long as you have powerful addiction in these communities, as long as the addict community rises, crime trends will move with it,” he said during a press conference held July 20. “We simply have to find broader solutions to this.”
Airdrie’s proximity to Calgary could mean some “spillover” crime could make its way between the two communities, but Sage said enforcement techniques were in place to prevent such occurrences.
“When they come to Airdrie, they can always see heavy traffic enforcement,” he said.
“I do think that has a positive effect with criminals targeting Airdrie. They see the heavy police presence, it has a deterrent effect on crime.”
Violent crime in Airdrie is at its lowest level since 2007. Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown attributed that decrease to police activity in the community.
“The fact that we have more boots on the ground definitely has helped us,” he said. “I think the fact that we have “K” Division working in Airdrie provides more of a police presence here that wasn’t here before. They’re out in the community and they’re doing things.”
Nielsen said Airdrie’s “small-town feel” still was evident in the days following the incident at Avenue Cakery.
“We had all kinds of people come in to check on our alarm systems and cameras and everything like that, we had people to help with our glass doors and cases,” she said. “The customers were very, very understanding and helpful. People were bringing us food. It was great.”
