Vehicle thefts on pace to increase in 2023 in Bonnyville

While overall crime statistics are staying relatively the same, the Bonnyville RCMP detachment area is trending to have more stolen vehicles than in the last two years.

Statistics were presented to Bonnyville town council on Tuesday by Bonnyville S/Sgt. Sarah Parke in an annual report, with up to date 2023 figures in comparison to the last two years.

The number appears to continue trending upward.

So far, 155 vehicles, meaning trucks, SUVs, cars, minivans, and motorcycles, have been stolen in Bonnyville since the beginning of the calendar year. In 2022, there was 160 stolen, and the year before there was 132. 

“We get the same types of rationales for why vehicles are being stolen,” said S/Sgt. Parke to town council.

“It typically is either unlocked, or left running, that type of thing. Something that entices someone to steal it, whereas preventative measures might’ve kept it from being stolen.”

She reminds motorists to continually lock their doors, never leave the vehicle unlocked and running, and never leave valuables in plain sight.

There was a stark increase in thefts over and under $5000 from 2021 to 2022, jumping from 287 to 466. This year, it sits at 387 files.

Possession of stolen property files have nearly surpassed last year’s levels, with 107 in 2022 to 105 this year.

Break and enters, however, could finish lower than in 2022. There was 117 break and enters in 2022, and only 78 in 2023.

Deputy mayor Neil Langridge talked about these files on the Connected morning show.

“I think everybody’s seen an increase in the Lakeland area on a lot of these subjects. She [Parke] talked about a lot of things, what they call set CPTED, which is environmental design to curb crime. We’ve taken some steps at the town to try and really hit home on some of the points that were highlighted by the RCMP to us,” said Langridge. 

“The second part that I asked the question was repeat offenders. And all I asked was Staff Sergeant Parke, would it be fair to say that the majority of our crimes are by repeat offenders? And I got a very blunt answer. And so that leads into a much larger problem that we’re not going to solve in one day, but the stats are good and take them for what they are.

“It’s something that we know that we’ve got an issue not only in Bonnyville, but the entire Lakeland area, and I’d say most of the province of Alberta has the same issues. So it’s it’s an ongoing battle that we’re going to try and figure out.”

Every Alberta detachment is responsible for outlining its goals during the fiscal year — from April to March. In Bonnyville, its been crime reduction and community engagement.

Last fiscal year, there were 42 documented community engagement events, and so far in 2023 there has been 21 events.