It’s always an encouraging piece of news to hear that crime numbers are down in Jasper. According to the Jasper RCMP police report, crime between April 1 2009 and June 30, 2009 is down 23 per cent from the previous year. Major drug investigations have dropped, liquor act incidents have nearly been cut in half from a year ago and mischief charges, which includes vandalism and other crimes generally associated with late night problems, are  down 23 per cent. None of these numbers include Highway 16 offences.

Often, the top complaint heard about the town revolves around vandalism, late night rowdiness and other related behaviours. So when those numbers drop, residents, business owners and police officers are happy.

There are a number of factors that could play into the drop. One can remain optimistic and attribute the change to a shift in attitudes and greater respect for ones community. Perhaps that has played a role.  The quarter coincides with the park wardens enhanced law enforcement powers. Many calls the RCMP would have handled are now shifted to Parks, which could account for the drop in liquor violations reported. Yet without a full breakdown, it’s difficult to say. Less officers usually means less crime reported, as there is only so much the RCMP can do. 

The economic downturn was also floated as a possible reason. While increased unemployment is usually associated an increase in crime, Jasper is exposed to different crowds. People have less cash to drive to Jasper and party when money is tight.

Coun. Ralphy Melnyk floated the idea that more foreign workers could contribute to the drop, as they have different attitudes and values about working in Jasper. It’s important to make the difference between values and respect for community and country of origin, as there are many non-foreign workers who also have a great deal of respect for their community. Respect for one’s community and shifts in values do play a part in keeping crime numbers down.

But policing can enter a very dangerous area when race enters the picture. Blaming types of crime on a particular demographic has proven to be trouble in other jurisdictions.

The town should continue to focus on raising respect as a whole, and the social marketing tools may be the ticket for such a change. Changing attitudes through community policing, building respect and keeping dialogue open have proven to keep crime numbers down.

It’s encouraging to hear that with the charges, the police have an 84 per cent clearance rate, which means they are able to identify someone responsible for the crime in the grand majority of cases. That number is up from 68 per cent in 2007.

It’s safe to say there is likely not one reason for the drop. Some of the numbers could be a statistical blip, others part of greater shifts in crime trends, however the RCMP, the municipality and citizens should remain vigilant to ensure the numbers continue to drop.