This month The Two Hills Regional Chronicle goes face to face with Sergeant Robert Daisley. Chronicle: Sergeant Daisley, given the Covid-19 pandemic and its ramifications on society, how are you coping while carrying out your duties to serve and protect the people of the Two Hills Region? Sgt Daisley: I am coping well. Like most people, I find it an inconvenience to participate in all of the measures necessary in order to keep Covid at bay. I miss going to the events like Fall Suppers, Christmas parties, Rural Crime Watch meetings, sporting events, etc. But I’m philosophical about it and I can also see some of the positives that have come out of it: changes have been forced onto the criminal justice system, there have been opportunities to do things that we wouldn’t otherwise have done, and this is probably the first winter I’ve ever had without catching a cold! In the past, a police officer had to drive to a courthouse to meet with a judge to have a production order signed (an order that permits the police to access information). Now there is a digital application process which is much more efficient, saving the officers a ton of time. I’m looking forward to a time when we have our vaccines and can go back to a more normal way of meeting each other! Chronicle: Over this period (the last year), have you seen a decrease in criminal activities, including breaking and entering, drug offences and traffic violations, given the restrictions faced by Albertans? Sgt Daisley: We have seen a massive decrease in reported offences over the past year. For example, in the months of January and February we saw a decrease in property crime by 40% compared to the same months in 2020 and by 25% versus 2017. Is this because of the restrictions? Common sense tells us that the restrictions must be a factor, but it is difficult to say how much. Other variables that may be influencing trends include: a)changes to legislation (around scrap metal, trespassing, etc.) b)access to addictions treatment (the Government of Alberta eliminated some fees and worked to open more beds) c)policing efforts (we have put a lot of pressure on the prolific offenders in the area) d)changing crime trends (we are receiving a lot of fraud files, most of which have an online component) e)reporting (are people deciding not to call because they think that nothing will be done?) f)Rural Crime Watch – is greater awareness leading to more suspicious vehicle/person calls which generate a police response and deters crime? Chronicle: This issue of masks has been somewhat controversial in the Two Hills Region and there are strong and passionate differences on either side. In the execution of your duties, do you find that most people comply with the mask mandate as required by Alberta Health Services? Sgt Daisley: Most of the people that I come across are using masks appropriately. As we know, wearing a mask is not to protect yourself, but to protect your “neighbor”. The love that we demonstrate for others is our highest calling, regardless of our place in society. Chronicle: Given the nature of the area that you serve, i.e. from Andrew at one end to Myrnam at the other end, are your boundaries well-suited to serve in the best interests of the community, given the travel time between one village and the other? Sgt Daisley: Our detachment area stretches beyond even the noted villages, from Range Road 190 in the west (two miles west of St. Michael) to Range Road 62 in the east (four miles east of Highway 41). Two Hills is centrally located and the vast majority of our calls are in the western half of the detachment area. With two members living in Andrew, I think that the configuration fits pretty well. It has been rare that we have had to drive from one end of the area to the other, but even when it has happened, we are lucky to have excellent highways through the area. At about 120km from one end to the other, this is the smallest detachment area I’ve been posted to! In addition, we have a good working relationship with the adjoining detachments and we’ve worked with Elk Point, Vermilion, Vegreville, Smoky Lake, St. Paul, Fort Saskatchewan, and Traffic Services (based in St. Paul and Vermilion) on various files throughout the last year. It is really nice to know that if there is another member who is in a better position to respond that they will assist! Chronicle: We have always felt that the R.C.M.P. should have more members in rural areas because, although the population is somewhat smaller, the vast area to be covered is widespread and the needs of the community are as diverse as the population. What are your sentiments? Sgt Daisley: We have often had this discussion in different offices over the years and there is definitely something to the idea. For example, a member working in a city detachment can probably be at any call within ten minutes (and often much less), while many of our calls require driving for 45 minutes or more each direction. The RCMP tries to take this into account when staffing detachments, using dispatch information to calculate how long it takes members to go to calls instead of simply counting how many total files there are. Ultimately, the number of officers required to police a given area depends on many factors, but one of the main ones is the expectations of the public. Do you want officers spending time in the schools? Do you want them just responding to complaints or out patrolling and trying to prevent crime? Do you want every lead pursued on each file or are you satisfied with focusing on the most serious files and letting the “little stuff” slide? How do you think online crime should be investigated? The reality is that no matter how many officers are in a given area, they are constantly trying to balance the needs and expectations of the public, the individual complainants, the RCMP as an organization, and the Government of Alberta (which contracts our services). There is a limitless amount of work that can be done, so prioritizing is key! That’s one of the reasons that it is important for us to seek feedback from our communities: we want to know what you think is a priority and we can use that information to inform our decisions! Chronicle: I realize that you and your members should stay above politics. We, as the Council of Two Hills, have taken a strong stand against introducing a provincial police force in Alberta to replace The Royal Canadian Mounted Police who, in my opinion, have done a sterling job by serving the needs of Rural Albertans. How do you feel about this? Sgt Daisley: Of course I feel proud of the work that we are doing and the work that has been done before my time. Each day that we come to work, each interaction that we have is an opportunity to build trust and I think that your support is a reflection of the members who have served at the Two Hills Detachment over the years. None of us are perfect, but the vast majority of us are here to serve the community to the best of our abilities. To be clear, this is not just the uniformed members, but also (maybe especially?) the support staff who are the first and often only point of contact that members of the community have with the RCMP: Diane Saskiw, Trish Proznick, Peggy Soprovich and others have served just as faithfully as any of the members! The premier has committed money, time, and political capital to investigating whether to replace the RCMP with a provincial police force and there may come a time when we are asked to vote. If that day arrives, I will weigh in with a personal letter to the editor. In the meantime, I will say only that we appreciate your support and will continue to work to maintain the trust that you have placed in us! Chronicle: Sergeant Daisley, your presence in Two Hills and the activities of your members has gone a long way to serving the needs of Two Hills and the surrounding areas. Is there some stability in the local detachment whereby there is a stronger bond between the community and the R.C.M.P.? Sgt Daisley: I feel very fortunate that there has been a period of stability here at the detachment. Shortly after my arrival in 2019, the two senior constables both moved on and were replaced by new recruits. Since that time, the same five members have been posted here and the current projection is for another year before anyone moves on. On the other hand, opportunities arise and it is very important to me to ensure that everyone achieves their full potential, even if that means moving on. Having Vlad and Lee arrive as our last two recruits gives me confidence that even if we lose someone to another opportunity, we stand a very good chance of having them replaced with another excellent member! I want to thank our families, too. The opportunities that we have to coach or visit or be at our best at work are a result of the strong support that we have from our partners, children, and extended families. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that I am not in Two Hills as a result of the RCMP sending me here or because I decided to come; it was a joint decision with my wife that this would be a great place to live and work. And we were right!