Morris RCMP Sergeant Shelley Lepla attended this month's council meetings in the Municipality of Montcalm and Morris. In the review it was stated that crime is on the decline in the region, however Lepla feels it may be due to recent weather, storms, and temperatures.

"Before the holidays we had a rash of truck thefts and items stolen from vehicles that were unlocked," said Sergeant Lepla.

She went on to say that the increase in theft led to credit card fraud from personal cards that were stolen or left in the vehicles that were rummaged through. Lepla advises individuals that choose not to lock their vehicles to remove all personal items, including their keys in order to protect their vehicles and identity.

"It does make sense at times not to lock our vehicles to avoid window smashing by criminals which can be a very costly thing however, we need to remove our personal items, including our garage door openers so the offender does not gain access to our homes," said Lepla.

Lepla also mentioned that the offenders of the credit card fraud were later obtained with the use of camera surveillance from several locations where the stolen cards were used. The RCMP then gave the surveillance to Crime Stoppers.

"We received numerous responses to Crime Stoppers referring to the identity of the credit card fraud offenders, which helped us in arresting and charging the said individuals with credit card fraud." noted Lepla.

Also in the review presented in January's council meetings, Sergeant Lepla mentioned that the detachment is looking into a new Alternative Measure Community Justice Program. Lepla talks about how this program would work in the community.

Lepla continued by saying that the program would offer young offenders the chance to make mistakes and learn from them without hindering future opportunities in the individuals adult life.

Another topic of discussion Lepla shared at the council meetings was the increase of asylum seekers crossing the border illegally near Emerson. Hundreds of refugees have entered Manitoba near the Emerson border crossing in an attempt to get asylum in Canada over the last year.

"If you spot someone crossing the border into Canada illegally, please call 911 or the direct line to the Morris or Emerson Detachment. There is no need to call CBSA officers as it is the RCMP's responsibility to address these situations. At times it can take members of the RCMP, anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour before they are on scene due to the large area we as a detachment patrol with a small amount of members. Watching for the direction the individual is going in, what they are wearing, and how many there were are very helpful tips to give to the RCMP when calling," said Lepla.

Lepla also noted that approaching someone entering the country illegally could be very dangerous, and that it is up to the person witnessing the incident to decide if they would like to confront the seeker. However, she warns that we have no idea what type of person they may be and suggests that we allow RCMP members handle the situation.