On Wednesday this week, Drayton Valley town council received the Drayton Valley RCMP’s Q3 Report for 2025, which shows that property crime is continuing to decrease.
According to the report, overall property crime was down by 14 per cent from October to December last year, compared to the same period in 2024. There were 220 assorted property crime incidents reported in 2024 and 189 reported in 2025.
Break and enters saw a slight increase to 14 in 2025, up from 10 in 2024.
Thefts under $5,000 dropped notably to 42 incidents, down from 70 incidents the previous year.
Motor vehicle thefts, on the other hand, continue to be a challenge; with 28 vehicles stolen in Q3 of 2025, up from 21 the year before, but down from 44 in 2021. That’s a 33 per cent increase from 2024, but a 36 per cent drop from 2021.
Speaking anecdotally, Staff Sergeant Ryan Hoetmer said about three to four vehicles are being stolen a week, but the detachment is working to curb it.
(Drayton Valley RCMP Q3 Report 2025/Drayton Valley town council agenda for March 4, 2026)
Persons crime saw an increase, particularly in assaults and criminal harassment. Thirty-eight assaults were reported for the quarter last year, compared to 26 in 2024 and 27 in 2021. Criminal harassment rose to 19 counts last year, from 13 the year before.
S/Sgt. Hoetmer could not comment on a specific cause for the increases, although he did note there are commonly reoffenders committing multiple offences under those charges. He asserted that Drayton Valley is still a safe community, considering the number of cases being seen.
(Drayton Valley RCMP Q3 Report 2025/Drayton Valley town council agenda for March 4, 2026)
He also commented on the increase seen in failure to comply and breaches, which rose to 38 in Q3 of 2025 from 29 in 2024. Hoetmer said an increase in these charges is good, as it indicates more proactive work by the RCMP to catch offenders breaching conditions.
The town is adequately staffed to meet its policing demands, Hoetmer said. For the last five years, calls for service have remained relatively consistent, although the addition of body cameras has added more administrative tasks for members. Generally, Hoetmer said officers have enough time to balance proactive policing and responding to calls.
The report notes the detachment currently has three officer vacancies, but two will be filled by the end of March. It also maintained an above-average response time of five to 10 minutes for 50.7 per cent of Priority 1 and 2 calls during the quarter.
That being said, the Mental Health Act is reportedly the highest consumer of officer time. Hoetmer said legislative changes to who must transfer an individual after their apprehension, or the number of designated facilities, could relieve some of this demand. Currently, individuals taken into custody under the Mental Health Act in Drayton Valley must be transported by a detachment officer to a designated facility in Ponoka or Red Deer.
The report, which included a letter from Alberta RCMP Deputy Commissioner Trevor Daroux, also addressed a desire for bail reform. The commanding officer said that municipal and community advocacy plays a critical role in upper-level changes, such as to the bail system and the Mental Health Act.
The Drayton Valley RCMP will host two town halls to collect input on policing priorities from town and Brazeau County residents in mid-March.
On March 18, residents can head to the Community Education and Training Centre in Drayton Valley to share their thoughts. A second event will be held in Easyford the following day, and both discussions start at 7 p.m.
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