Sergeant Andy Wetzstein, Commander of the Killam/Forestburg RCMP Detachment, recently released some very promising crime statistics.
He says the latest Crime Severity Index (CSI) from Statistics Canada shows a positive trend across Alberta RCMP jurisdictions, recording a 10.4 per cent decrease in 2025 compared to 2024.
“The results reflect an overall decline in the volume and severity of police-reported crime across RCMP jurisdictions in the province.”
Wetzstein says that the CSI is a statistical measure developed by Statistics Canada that takes into account both the volumne and seriousness of police-reported crime.
It is calculated using the number and severity of Criminal Code offences reported within a community in relation to its population.
Wetzstein says locally, Killam/Forestburg Detachment area also saw a very positive trend. The Detachment’s CSI decreased from 126.4 to 75.0, representing a 40.6 per cent decrease.
He says, “While the CSI provides valuable insight into crime trends, the results should be considered within the context of each community.
“Jurisdictions with smaller populations often experience greater year-to-year fluctuations in the CSI because even relatively small changes in the number of reported crimes can have a significant impact on the overall score.
“Larger jurisdictions typically experience less variation year to year due to their population size, although many of Alberta’s larger RCMP jurisdictions also reported decreases in their CSI this year.”
Wetzstein says that for the local detachment, the CSI is one of several tools used to understand local crime trends, inform intelligence-led policing, and guide operational priorities aimed at reducing crime and addressing repeat victimization within the community.
He points to recent initiatives and successed informed by local priorities, including:
-Concentrated efforst to manage the small number of prolific offenders who are responsible for a large portion of crime in Flagstaff County and the MD of Provost;
-Recent arrests of prolific offenders in collaboration with the RCMP’s Eastern Alberta Crime Reduction team have led to a decrease in reported crime and a decrease in crime severity;
-Killam/Forestburg Detachment members have executed 14 arrest warrants since the beinning of the fiscal year in April of 2026, continuing to focus on those who are “wanted” in our area;
-Partnerships with Flagstaff County Community Peace Officers, MD of Provost Community Peace Officers, and the Alberta Sheriff’s Traffic Unit have led to an increased law enforcement visibility presence on our roadways throughout the county, in an effort to deter crime and improve road safety.
Wetzstein says, “These initiatives reflect the Killam/Forestburg RCMP’s ongoing commitment to reducing crime, strong community partnerships, and delivering policing services that meet the evolving needs of Albertans.”
He adds, “I’m proud of the efforts of our team here at Killam/Forestburg Detachment and am encouraged by the decline in numbers but recognize there is still lots of work to do.
“On behalf of our law enforcement partners, we wish to thank the communities we serve for calling the police when incidents happen.
“Your reporting of crime as it occurs is extremely important for us when analyzing crime trends so that we have the most up to date data and can deploy resources accordingly.
“If we don’t hear about it, we don’t know about it.
“There may be times where there is not much that the police can do in the moment but that call for service may be one piece of a much larger and important puzzle.
“Our citizens play a valuable role in public safety and crime reduction efforts so I wish to say thank you to the residents we serve.”
