Before dawn on a morning in 2019, three men arrived on Main Street in Pincher Creek, hot-wired Anne Stevick’s truck and drove off, taking her RV with it. Surveillance footage from a nearby business captured the whole thing — they were gone within seven minutes.

“It really invades your personal space and makes you feel very vulnerable,” Stevick says. “I just felt like there had to be a way that community could help.”

That belief eventually led her to Rural Crime Watch and now, as the newly elected president of the Southwest Rural Crime Watch Association, she’s leading a push to rebuild the organization from the ground up.

The volunteer-driven association works alongside the RCMP, Alberta Fish and Wildlife, municipal enforcement and other partners. Stevick was recently appointed as president alongside vice-president Shelly-Anne Dennis, treasurer Blanche Lemire and secretary Barb Boyer.

“Police can’t be everywhere all the time,” Stevick says. “If we can work with our neighbours, our community, our RCMP and our municipality, it will make it a lot easier to prevent and detect crime before it even happens.”

The association serves as the local chapter of Alberta’s provincial Rural Crime Watch program, encouraging residents to report suspicious activity and share information to help keep rural communities safe.

Why reorganization was needed

The theft of Stevick’s truck came during a broader wave of vehicle thefts and farmyard break-ins that swept the area around 2019 and 2020. RCMP encouraged the formation of a local Rural Crime Watch chapter and she became involved shortly after.

The association did not sustain its early momentum. Over the years, meeting attendance dwindled, a quorum became difficult to reach and the executive struggled without enough volunteers to keep it running effectively.

The organization began reorganizing late last year after newly appointed community peace officer Robyn Potter and local RCMP members encouraged residents to revive the association and recruit a new executive team.

Organizational meetings were held in December and January. On Jan. 21, the association held a formal election of officers, with nominations open from the floor.

Stevick, who served as vice-president during a previous, less active period, put her name forward for the top role.

“It’s a way bigger job than we thought,” she says, noting the team has spent many hours working to reinstate the society.

Crime is quiet — for now

Stevick says southwestern Alberta is currently in a relatively calm period when it comes to rural crime.

At the association’s April meeting, RCMP Const. Val Dennis reported that the past couple of years have been notably quiet compared to the spike seen around 2019, when multiple theft rings operated in the region.

But this calm is not taken as a reason to stand down as the group works on preparedness.

Stevick points to a recent incident in which residents reported a suspicious vehicle in a rural yard, leading to quick recovery of a stolen ATV later the same day.

The collaboration helps both law enforcement and rural residents respond more effectively to suspicious activity, Stevick says.

Signage, membership and fundraising

The association has nearly 60 members and has already started rebuilding its presence through community outreach efforts, including participation in the recent Pincher Creek Trade Show, where members promoted Rural Crime Watch and signed up new residents.

Membership costs $25 per family annually and includes a Rural Crime Watch sign for property entrances. As a deterrence measure, the association hopes to install larger signs along major roads entering the municipality.

“Just so people with ill intentions think maybe this community is paying attention,” Stevick says.

Looking ahead

At the annual general meeting, scheduled for June 15, members are expected to discuss bylaws, recruit additional directors and hear from guest speakers on crime prevention topics.

Following a summer break, the association will hold quarterly meetings going forward. Stevick says the goal is to make meetings worthwhile, not simply routine.

Future discussions may include cybercrime, telephone scams and online fraud targeting seniors.

“We hope to reinvigorate it so it keeps going for another 20 to 25 years,” she says.

Residents interested in getting involved can visit the association’s Facebook page or contact the MD of Pincher Creek office.