Break and enters (B & E’s) fell dramatically across the West Boundary in 2021, according to Cpl. Phil Peters, Detachment Commander at Midway RCMP.
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Last year’s numbers bucked a rising trend in B & E’s over previous years, Peters said Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Peters said 12 area B & E’s were reported to the detachment last year, down 73 per cent from the 43 reported in 2020.
The detachment saw 38 B & E’s in 2019, up from 34 the year before, he continued.
“I wish we could’ve brought last year’s numbers down to zero, but that’s not what happened,” he said, crediting a targeted, determined approach that’s put criminals on the back foot.
“We’ll use everything at our disposal to catch em: helicopters, planes, dogs — whatever.”
Peters went on to say the detachment’s success had as much to do with building relationships in West Boundary communities as with Mounties’ tough stance on crime.
“We’ll bring as much force to bear under the Canadian Criminal Code as we have to, but a lot of it has been about getting to know people and putting the word out that there’ll be consequences if you break the law in our area,” he explained.
Peters said last year’s B & E’s were evenly spread throughout the West Boundary. B&E’s steadily dropped off in the detachment in May 2021, with another steep drop in August.
Midway RCMP’s jurisdiction starts roughly 10 kilometres east of Greenwood, carrying through the Canyon Bridge west of Rock Creek and extending north to Carmi, according to Peters.
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