Thefts are on the rise in the Drayton Valley region.
At the Town of Drayton Valley’s July 20 meeting, Drayton Valley RCMP Staff Sergeant Erin Matthews was on hand to deliver the monthly crime statistics.
In June 2022, Drayton Valley saw 92 property crimes reported.
Matthews took town council through some of the more notable thefts, such as a rise in thefts under $5000.
One of the hotels in Drayton Valley filed the report that someone had stolen the TV and dresser from one of their rooms.
“That one was able to be charged to the person’s credit card, so they did not really get away with it,” shared Matthews.
Councillor Tom McGee wanted to know if there had been a rise in Drayton Valley’s homeless population, as many residents have said to him it seems like there are more.
Matthews responded that it is tough to get an exact number.
“We have a lot of them that are couch surfing,” said Matthews. “Technically, they are homeless, but they are not living in a camp somewhere.”
But the topic of the update quickly turned to staffing, as Matthews announced that she has put in for her retirement. Matthews has spent 23 years as a member of the RCMP, the last six in Drayton Valley. Matthews’ last day on the force will be Nov. 18.
“The Drayton Valley team is awesome, as I keep saying, and I have no doubts that things will be just fine,” said Matthews, of the detachment she will be leaving behind.
Councillor Bill Ballas extended his thanks to Matthews.
“You are a valuable asset to our community, and if you continue to reside in Drayton, I hope you continue to stay involved, because there is a lot of experience there that is certainly welcome.”
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