Theft on rise across rural Manitoba

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This article was published 14/12/2023 (709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the dead of night, Petersfield Motor Hotel owner Amrinder Mann got an alert notification on his cellphone that someone was breaking into his business.

He jumped out of bed, called 911 and got in his vehicle, rushing to the building in an attempt to confront the perpetrator.

However, by time he got there, the thief had chained-up the hotel’s ATM and ripped it off its concrete base, making a clean getaway with the cash dispenser. RCMP showed up seven minutes later.

The Nov. 17 incident in the small community some 50 kilometres north of Winnipeg marks one of 20 ATMs stolen from hotels and gas stations in the Interlake region over the last two months, said machine supplier Michael Iwaszkiw.

“It’s really disheartening,” Iwaszkiw told the Free Press.

Rural crime reports are on the rise in Manitoba, with some blaming a lack of policing and others pointing to the bail system.

Since the incident, Mann stands watch at his hotel long after it closes for the night. “We are a small business and we cannot afford to have 24-hour security,” he said.

Statistics released by Manitoba RCMP show property crime increased in all districts in October, compared to the same time last year.

Theft in the police service’s west and north districts increased by five per cent, while offences in its east district jumped by 23 per cent (1,149 calls for service from 937).

Meantime, community members say they’re making up for a lack of RCMP monitoring.

Kerry McInnes joined the Citizens on Patrol Program in Oak Bluff nearly three years ago, and spent hours patrolling his neighbourhood southwest of Winnipeg for suspect behaviour.

“We noticed an absence of (police) patrols… just think what the criminals would notice,” McInnes said.

In 2020, McInnes spotted a group in three pickup trucks trying to plunder lumber from a construction site. With no answer from the RCMP non-emergency line (the number COPP patrols use to report activity), McInnes took matters into his own hands. He shone his vehicle’s searchlight at the would-be thieves. They fled empty-handed.

While the 70-year-old no longer volunteers with the program, the Oak Bluff resident said he’s noted increased crime in the area.

“There’s no patrols, there’s nobody looking out at all… We used to see RCMP patrol cars here all the time. We don’t anymore.”

A recent poll conducted by Probe Research for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities revealed a majority of respondents feel less safe in their community than they did three years ago.

The survey showed 62 per cent of southern Manitoba community residents and 45 per cent of rural and northern peers feel less safe. Nearly four in 10 indicated there has been no change in their community’s level of safety and five per cent of respondents believe they live in a now-safer place.

Association president Kam Blight fears vigilantism will fill the gap created by fewer RCMP officers patrolling.

“People are concerned and they’re fed up, and they’re trying to protect their property and their family,” he said. “It’s the only way they can because the RCMP is unable to do so right now because of the lack of resources.”

Trouble recruiting officers has contributed to a 7.5 per cent vacancy rate in Mountie ranks, RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Julie Courchaine said, adding dealing with repeat offenders out on bail or early release has tied up resources.

While there’s been no noticeable uptick in vigilante justice, Courchaine urged the public to call in criminal activity instead of dealing with it privately. “We want to do it properly. We want to know someone’s committing a criminal offence. We want to find that person and we want to make an arrest.”

Meanwhile, the reeve of the Rural Municipality of Hanover pointed to the “catch-and-release” method within the criminal justice system as a factor behind increasing rural crime rates.

Jim Funk said the southeast Manitoba RM has had an “exceptional amount” of crime. Petty theft, as well as incidents of stolen vehicles and machinery are driving incident rates, the reeve said.

Funk also pointed to illicit drugs as a driving force in rural crime stats. “People who want to keep up with their needs will steal to do it.”

During the provincial election campaign, New Democrats promised to address policing shortages by funnelling more money into municipal police budgets. Wab Kinew said an NDP government would tighten bail conditions to address the release of repeat offenders. The NDP won a majority government Oct. 3.

Blight said while there’s no magic solution to addressing crime in rural areas, something’s got to give.

“There’s so many different things that are required in this, but we need to start taking a serious stance on being tougher on crime, but also being there to get to the root causes of crime.”

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca