The Cochrane RCMP is looking back at what was a very busy 2019; responding to a wide range of calls from mail, auto and ATM theft to business break and enters, homicide investigations and an officer-involved shooting.

Corporal Troy Savinkoff is with the Cochrane RCMP and says that the assistance they've received from the public this past year has been extremely helpful.

He says "There have been many investigations in which the public has helped us from Crime Stoppers Tips and other phone calls. We've had a lot of assistance over the last year and our most successful investigations have been because of assistance from the public. We love that partnership that we have with the community. There are only so many police officers here and there are way more members of the public who are witnessing things and are able to give us information, so the public really is our number one tool." 

Savinkoff says a major breakthrough for the RCMP this past year was in solving the string of break and enters and ATM thefts in the Bragg Creek, Turner Valley and Priddis areas. He says with assistance from the public they were able to recover stolen property and make six arrests.

Savinkoff says that auto break-ins and theft from vehicles has always been and continues to be a problem in Cochrane and the surrounding areas. He says "We've tried to make some proactive efforts which include us making proactive foot patrol in the neighbourhoods that we feel are the most common and hardest hit. We will often try opening car doors ourselves and have brochures that we'll leave behind as a reminder to lock your vehicles and protect and secure your property."

Savinkoff says that the RCMP's focus in 2020 is to continue to make strides in public safety. He says "We want to be on top of offenders in our area and we know who the more prolific ones are and we continue to make strides to stay on top of them."