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By Nicole Reis

Rural Crime Prevention

Sharing information makes for safer community: RCMP

Nov 26, 2019 | 4:53 PM

Crime prevention in Meadow Lake starts with its citizens.

According to RCMP Cpl. Rob King, police rely on public information when it comes to keeping the community safe.

“One of the key components are the eyes and ears of the public that are important to police. That’s where the information comes from that we can act on,” King said.

After a string of crime in the region, King said officers rely not just on calls for service data which can often be skewed, but rather a community willing to share information with police in order to maintain the safety of its citizens.

“We’re trying to be as intelligent-led as we can possibly be by studying trends and studying what’s happening in specific areas and target our enforcement toward trends or prolific offenders that may be existing in some areas,” he said.

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King said on occasion statistics may be skewed because calls for service do not generally indicate an upward trend of crime. Instead, the RCMP rely heavily on knowledge of communities at the detachment level.

“Calls for service can vary depending on who you have working in the area, what’s going on and even weather can determine calls for service,” he said.

King said public can get involved in local crime prevention by reporting suspicious activity to police.

“The eyes and ears are what’s most important. The public being involved, watching out for your neighbours and knowing who’s-who next door and what their routines are. When things seem out of the ordinary, let police know. That’s what helps stop crime in rural areas,” he said.

If you have any information regarding a crime in your area, contact Meadow Lake RCMP at 306-236-2570. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or text TIP206 and your message to CRIMES (274637), or you can submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com.