Frustration grows as rural Manitoba communities struggle to deal with crime, repeat offenders

In the past few months, Portage la Prairie has seen more than a dozen people go through the "revolving door" of the justice system and end up accused of repeat offences, the mayor of the small southern Manitoba city says.

"It's frustrating for citizens," said Mayor Sharilyn Knox. "It's affecting their livelihood, their properties, the things that they care about."

Knox says in recent months, about 15 people in the city have been released on conditions after being arrested, then been accused of breaching those conditions and ended up being arrested again.

They're typically accused of petty crimes like shoplifting and property crimes, she said, some of which appear to be fuelled by methamphetamine addiction.

Knox says RCMP have told her they received 148 property crime calls from Portage la Prairie from October to December 2022 — an increase of about 20 per cent from the 125 calls over the same period in 2021.

"We're spending time and money on it," said Knox. "It seems like property crime can be repeat, repeat, repeat before there's sort of anything really significant done."

The city of about 13,000 is one of several southwestern Manitoba communities seeking new ways to tackle crime. 

Just over a year ago, Portage la Prairie started working with the province, the justice department, Crown prosecutors and RCMP to create a committee dedicated to tackling the repeat offender issue. 

Its goal is to increase communication between all groups to ensure offenders receive not just proper sentences, but also resources and services.

'Piece missing' in efforts to reduce crime: mayor

Portage la Prairie was also one of 12 communities that got a total of $1.3 million in provincial funding last April to develop and implement local safety and well-being plans.

Knox says that offers an opportunity to better understand what's still needed to help improve safety in the community, including making sure repeat offenders have the resources they need.

"I just feel that there's a piece missing, where we just don't have the services out there to give people the help they need," Knox said.

"We're at a little bit of a crossroads right now … in our province and in our country, where we need our justice system and our social services systems to line up a little better."

The current state of rural crime is "unsettling," said the president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities.

The situation leaves many rural Manitobans are feeling helpless, especially when it comes to repeat offenders, said Kameron Blight. 

Policing costs are rising for municipalities, Blight said, but that doesn't always translate to more policing coverage.

A survey conducted by the association last year found a vast majority of municipal officials felt enhanced police visibility needed to be a priority.

Blight fears some rural residents might try to confront criminals themselves.

"People are going to do what they need to do to protect their properties and their families, because they feel they're not getting the proper protection from the court systems," he said.

That's not the approach Manitoba RCMP want people to take, said spokesperson Tara Seel.

"The best thing to do is ... [is] call the police and get them there to help resolve the situation in a safe manner," she said.

Seel said after reaching a five-year high in 2021, the number of property crimes reported in the province's west RCMP district in 2022 dipped slightly.

There were 635 property crimes reported in that district in 2022, down from 709 the year before.

While police aren't called for all crimes, reporting them to RCMP is essential so they're aware of community concerns and can determine where to best deploy officers, Seel said.

Dauphin hopes social services can help cut crime

Dauphin is also trying to tackle a rise in what Mayor David Bosiak calls "crimes of convenience" — like quick thefts of items in cars — but overall, crime seems to be dropping in the western Manitoba city of roughly 8,000, he said.

Many of the issues that Dauphin is seeing are because "a lot of resources are going to deal with … a small number of people who require a great deal of attention," he said.

In January 2019, the city created a crisis prevention task force and in October set up Under One Roof — a shelter space that makes a collection of service agencies and community volunteers easily accessible in one spot.

On average, the shelter can see anywhere from 60 to 80 people visit each day, offering support like warm meals or a safe place to sleep.

While the shelter and task force do not track crime statistics, Bosiak says these steps are helping keep the community safe because they address mental health and addiction issues.

He hopes that will ultimately reduce crime in the city.

"It all depends on the people that are involved," said Bosiak. "We've got a whole group of really dedicated people all with a willingness to work together, and that's the key."