Fort McMurray Forum

Wood Buffalo's new top cop looking to stamp out misconceptions about crime in our region.

Superintendent Bob Couture recently joined the detachment as Officer in Charge.

Arriving from Surrey, B.C. with nearly 25 years policing experience.

Compared to similar size cities across Canada, Couture says the crime rate is no different in Fort McMurray.

"Wood Buffalo is a very, very safe community," Couture told local media during a meet and greet at the Timberlea detachment Wednesday.

"There's that precept ion across the country that the boomtown is nothing but run-a-muck type of thing. Money, oil, etc, etc, and those perceptions and optics are not true," said Couture. "We as members of the RCMP, we as members of the community have to continually get that message out to other citizens across this country that this is not the case."

Couture says local RCMP are focusing on four areas of crime: youth, habitual offenders, traffic offenses and drugs.

He also wants Wood Buffalo's nearly 200 Mounties to become more engaged in the public.

Last year Wood Buffalo RCMP reported a nearly 5 per cent drop in crime compared to 2009.

2011 statistics have yet to be released.

yes he is right, but as with all cities there are places you just don't go at wrong times,
like the 7-11 downtown after midnight ..just saying ............