DEALING WITH INCREASING CRIME IN RURAL ALBERTA

   The days of waiting for the RCMP to be guardians and saviours are over in rural Alberta.
   In Smoky Lake, Trevor Tychkowsky, president of the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association, said more and more farmers are installing security systems and locking their doors.  “The days of having our places kept open and keys in vehicles, those days are done,” said Tychkowsky. “Criminals have come to figure that stuff out.”
 As theft has steadily increased in Alberta, more and more security systems are being installed on rural properties, he added.