RCMP present fourth quarter report at Coaldale’s June 29 council meeting

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Coaldale-Picture Butte RCMP Staff Sgt. Malcolm Callihoo presented the RCMP fourth quarter crime stats report and update to councillors at the Town of Coaldale June 29 regular council meeting. 

Callihoo shared the Municipal Policing Report highlights from January to March 2026, which included community priorities on traffic safety, police and community relations and Intelligence led policing. The report also covered community consultations and quarterly crime stats. 

“On the 27th of January 2026, there was traffic service checkstop that was conducted in Coaldale from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.,” said Callihoo, noting there was 1 Immediate Roadside Sanction (IRS) Fail and one caution charge. “Members are working with the Integrated Traffic Unit in order to enhance public safety and a renewed focus on traffic enforcement will be part of this upcoming strategy for the upcoming reporting period,” he added.     

Prior to highlighting the quarterly crime stats, Calihoo noted the community consultations that took place including a class presentation to the Career and Life Management (CALM) class at Coaldale Prairie Winds High School on drug abuse, Coffee with a Cop event, Operation Cold Start and a Provincial Hockey Tournament.  

Calihoo then pointed out some of the crime stats, referencing data from the fourth quarter over a four-year time period from 2022-2026, and noted fluctuations in crime stat numbers. In particular, he discussed the assault numbers, which increased in the past year, from 12 in Jan-March 2025 to 17 in the same time period in 2026. Likewise, he pointed out fraud incidents, stats that saw a slight decrease from 11 in 2025 to 10 during the same time period in 2026.  

“The commonality that we’re seeing on this one (fraud) is … Facebook transactions,” explained Calihoo. “So where people are agreeing to buy a product of some sort then forward money to someone but then the product isn’t there and you’re defrauded that way. Or, the other one that we’re seeing a lot of is false representation of a certain company or a bank, where they’re defrauded of money and sent money to an email address or something of that nature,” he added, noting this topic touches the elderly and RCMP are planning to hold a presentation on fraud at the Sunny South Lodge in the near future, to help implement some preventative measures for seniors.    

Year-over-year crime stats between January-March 2025 to 2026, saw a seven per cent increase in Total Persons crime stats from 28 to 30, which include assault, criminal harassment and uttering threats. Total Property crime stats, which include break and enter, theft of motor vehicle, theft over $5,000 and mischief, saw a significant 47 per cent decrease from last year that saw 81 incidents in 2025 to 43 in the same quarter in 2026. Total Criminal Code stats also decreased from 139 in 2025 to 91 in 2026, during the same time period.    

In addition, Callihoo also noted an important national development that will impact front line policing operations in the coming months. He pointed out the RCMP’s new modernized, general duty service pistol that will help enhance public and officer safety as well as operational effectiveness.   

“The new issuance of a new duty pistol that’s coming out – that’s the Glock 45 MOS 7 Duty Pistol. This has been part of a long process to get to this point,” said Callihoo, noting the roll-out for the new duty pistol will occur in phases across the RCMP division. “There is going to be planning that’s going to be happening and training that’s going to be happening this year and for the next three years throughout the division. I’m not exactly sure when our members are going to be trained yet, but it is a necessary upgrade,” he added. 

Callihoo noted the current duty pistols that are used no longer have any parts for them because they are obsolete. 

“So the fact is, moving onto one that does have product support as well as new technology associated to it is always a good thing,” said Callihoo.