Producers encouraged to get involved in Saskatchewan's Rural Crime Watch Association

Rural municipalities have struggled with criminal activity for years due to the vast and remote areas.

The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities is encouraging producers to get involved in the Rural Crime Watch Initiative.

SARM President Ray Orb says about 22 of the 296 RM's in the Province have joined the association and he'd like to see more involvement.

"We are the eyes and ears of people out in the rural area. We can help the RCMP deter crimes to some extent, reporting incidents or getting reports from the RCMP. So it's very valuable to know what's going on as far as grain thefts, perhaps livestock thefts. Just to watch to see who the people are out there? What they're doing? Especially if you know RCMP are looking for them."

Orb says the organization and producer involvement is even more important with the price of commodities today.

"We've had thefts of canola, you know when canola was $25 a bushel. It's apt to go back up there again, if it isn't already. So those commodities are really worth a lot of money to grain producers and they are at risk if they're out in a remote area."

SARM notes that if more rural residents and landowners volunteered to join a local crime watch group it could lead to the prevention of criminal activity by providing a
seamless network of eyes and ears for police.

The President of the Saskatchewan Rural Crime Watch Association, Tim Brodt says it’s as simple as taking a ride with a neighbor to check the land, watching for suspicious vehicles and activities while out in your yard, using a member call list or "What's App" to report suspicious behavior in the neighborhood.

Statistics show that areas with organized crime watch programs tend to have a significant reduction in criminal activity.