The Bulletin

“Crime Prevention Is Everybody’S Responsibilty”

The AGM and Crime Symposium is always fun; it’s a great opportunity to learn, to share, and to spend time with ‘like-minded’ people. It’s fun, it’s entertaining, – it helps your association and your community. As the theme states – it is everyone’s responsibility. As we have information on hotels and other details, they will be posted.

President’s Message

Prepare the ground, plant the seeds, water, fertilize, pull the weeds, harvest. Gardens, fields, volunteer organizations – in many ways it is the same. Summer time may be a time for some to unwind and enjoy the sun and potentially a bit more relaxed environment at work. For others, it’s gear up time! Make sure ‘the hay’ comes in tall and healthy by minding the fields. It is also the time for associations to make their presence aware in summer villages and lake side properties, as well as acreages, new housing developments and the established communities you normally deem ‘your’ territory.

We are all getting older, we need new blood, new ideas – new bodies! Time to work it.

For those going on vacation – remember to protect your home and property before you leave. Let your neighbours know you are going to be away. So you don’t have to worry about the newspaper on the doorstep? What about in roadside box? Stop delivery if necessary; have someone check your property regularly. Enjoy your time away – be safe, be well, and come home to to a secure home and property. Your vigilance and preparation are the best advertisement for your association. Be the example you want to see in your community.

The Farmer’s Advocate

From the June 6, 2011 Agri-News

“I am very proud of the Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO) team of dedicated individuals that work for rural Albertans each and every day,” says Kiss. “They do a tremendous job providing information, advice, opinion, suggestions and generally helping folks understand their rights and what they can do to resolve their disputes.”

During his time as Farmers’ Advocate, Kiss wanted to promote a more proactive and progressive approach to help rural Albertans prepare and plan for issues that they may face. He directed an aggressive reorganization of the office and structured the FAO services into three main areas, rural opportunities, rural consumer protection and fair process.

By championing projects such as the Pricing Transparency, Kiss helped landowners level the playing field with energy industry land agents in negotiating surface compensation. There was an emphasis placed on mediation services, and many FAO staff took mediation training and worked towards becoming accredited mediators. Kiss was successful in gaining Growing Forward funding for the rural umpire network pilot project, where rural Albertans facing a dispute could potentially seek the services of a trained mediator to resolve their differences.

“Emotion is your number one enemy when you are facing a potential dispute or negotiation,” says Kiss. “The more proactive you can be in providing sound rationale and supporting data to your position, ensuring it is full of fact and assumption versus emotion, the more favourable the position you put yourself in to accomplish your goals.”

The FAO worked hard to streamline the Farm Implement Administration and ensure purchasers of farm implements received good consumer protection. The FAO saw an increase in licensed dealers, distributors and manufactures from approximately 350 in 2005 to over 500 in 2011.

Kiss spent considerable time as advocate connecting with rural Albertans and visiting them in their communities. “I logged just about 50,000 kms a year going to stakeholder meetings, visiting with individuals and hearing their issues and concerns. It was kind of like that song, ‘I’ve been everywhere’… ”

When asked for any closing thoughts, Kiss stated, “Rural Albertans are practical folks. They are fiercely independent, proud of their community and way of life, loyal to family and friends and have a good perspective on values of right and wrong. These are the type of folks we should listen to and learn from as we consider issues and develop policy.

“I want to thank the people of Alberta for engaging with me in thoughtful discussion. I want to thank Hon. Doug Horner who was the Minister of Agriculture who first appointed me, and for the subsequent Ministers George Groeneveld and Jack Hayden who allowed me to serve and supported the activities of the FAO. I will continue to support rural Alberta and continue to be proud of this province and of the people here.”

Inventory/Supplies

The following letter is from 2007, and is an example to everyone of what was, and is, a way for RCW’s to survive.

2007 October 17

Rural Crime Watch organization have played a major part in preventing and reporting crime in Alberta for the past four decades. Throughout the years crime has evolved with the improvement of communication and transportation. I am proud to report that we too (Didsbury Rural Crime Watch) have also evolved with time and have joined forces with Olds, Sundre, and Raven Rural crime watch organizations to provide a better service to rural residents and to our local RCMP liaisons in the prevention of crime in our areas.

This is accomplished by our organization jointly purchasing a state of the art fan-out system. Our new system will enable communication immediately to the affected areas by the RCMP remotely via phone, e-mail or fax. Each rural crime watch member will be able to advise which communication mode is best suited to them.

Throughout the next few months rural residents with the Olds, Sundre and Raven areas, including towns will have an opportunity in joining as a member and be entered in our data base.

I encourage as many residents as possible to take advantage of becoming an important member of Rural Crime. On behalf of the executive members of Didsbury Rural Crime Watch, I would like to thank all of our past executives in the development and maintenance of a crime watch prevention program and look forward in its growth in the years ahead!

Sincerely,

Dave Sharek
President
Didsbury Rural Crime Watch Society

Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway that you are away from home.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it athttp://www.faketv/.com/)

8 More Things A Burglar Won't Tell You:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and even if you are home - shut those curtains, shades and blinds so I cannot see those flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the curtains, shades or blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and just walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs http://www.crimedoctor.com/ and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.

Protection for you and your home: If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone’s evil plans for you.

Wasp Spray

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection..

From Another Source:

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School. For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed. Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them." Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around.

After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

Submitted by Gayle Watson

Upcoming events

Local Food on University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus

During the “Field to Fork” year, Food Services, with the help from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and a former student, undertook an assessment of food used in the cafeteria, where it came from and which items might be sourced closer to home. Once a month the cafeteria offered a “local lunch” in which it sourced all its ingredients from as close to Camrose as possible. “The initial lunches were a lot of work, and a little chaotic,” recalls Lilas. “Our first local food meal was roast beef supper with mashed potatoes, carrots, beets and a rhubarb strawberry crisp. We actually went out and picked from a small local garden an overabundance of beets and pickled them. The first time an entire local meal was featured, the students gave the cafeteria staff a standing ovation."

Monthly local lunches are one of the ways institutions can dip a toe into the waters of local food procurement. Other options for introducing local food includes having a seasonal salad bar and/or fruit bar or focusing on one or two locally sourced main menu items.

From that initial experience of monthly local lunches, Food Services learned what the students liked, what the kitchen and staff could tolerate, and what they could afford. The monthly locally sourced lunches continue, but the menu items tend to be a little more expensive and special (e.g. elk, bison or steak). More recently, local procurement has extended beyond the monthly lunches. On a regular basis the kitchen locally sources their meat including chicken and beef , eggs, root vegetables, and flour. In any given month, they use roughly 350 lbs of roast beef, 500 lbs of ground beef, 150 lbs of stew meat plus 120 lbs of stir-fry beef. "We're lucky enough to have a staff that knows how to cook using basic and fresh ingredients," says Lilas. In fact, ‘Maggie’s buns,’ dinner rolls made fresh only make an appearance at the monthly local lunches and are so popular that students confess to stuffing them into any and every available pocket. The local carrots held out until the first week of April, resulting in only one month of non-local carrots. “You can totally tell when the carrots aren’t local anymore,” says one of the students over lunch, “they don’t taste the same. They’re not as good.”

Chicken and root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onions and turnips) are supplied by the Viking Hutterite Colony. The flour for the famous ‘Maggie’s buns’ comes from the Sunny Boy flour mill which has been part of the Camrose landscape for over 80 years. Under the new ownership of Patricia and Brad Shapka, Sunny Boy focuses on milling locally sourced grains, both conventional and organic, and on a new organic line of products.

The ground beef, stew and stir fry beef all comes from Double Z Farms Inc., a provincially inspected meat processor at Strome. Jerome Zimmel and Tina Peterson also raise the beef that they sell. “We believe in providing a consistent, fresh product that is healthy and tasty. If I wouldn’t serve it to my family, I won’t sell it,” says Tina. Concerning their relationship with Augustana, Tina commented, “Knowing that September through April we have a contract for that beef is really beneficial for our business.”

While the size of an institutional contract may be a barrier for single small producers, however the predictability of that contract can also be the solution. Small producers can collectively fill the contract, or knowing that the demand exists, a single producer can scale up their operation to meet it. “It’s a collaborative effort,” says Lilas, “we’re working together to create a balance between what we need and what they can provide. But sufficient supply is still a major challenge.” There is also a question of some degree of processing. The Augustana cafeteria uses 500 pounds of potatoes a week, but needed to receive them already washed and peeled. “The Viking Colony does that for us, which is great because we wouldn’t be able to source local potatoes otherwise.”

Discussion around local food often comes down to reducing food miles, but for Augustana there is much more to it than that. Says Dean Roger Epp, "It's important for a university campus located in rural Alberta to be mindful of food, to take seriously the responsibilities of feeding students three meals a day and being part of the local economy, and to use that leverage to encourage a more balanced, sustainable food system." One student mentioned that she felt the local food purchasing made the university a greater participant in the community and she liked that.

Strengthening local economies involves more than money, it involves building community and relationships. Lilas’ face lights up when I ask if dealing with many producers is a problem. “Oh, no. I love to talk with them, to hear their story. Our food has a face, a story!” Because Augustana’s Food Services didn’t have a single vendor contract prior to venturing into local procurement, they could easily switch to sourcing from local producers.

A significant contributor to Augustana’s success is the collaborative effort within the university. The cafeteria staff, residence life staff and administration all work together to make it happen. There is a coordinated, rather than a competitive approach with all food services on campus. The cafeteria works with the coffee shop in the Forum so that they collectively source and serve local food.

The initial year involved a lot of commitment. In addition to tracking down producers, Lilas did a lot of the transport of the food for the monthly local lunches. With more food now sourced locally, orders are delivered by the producer. Challenges still exist. These include finding large volume supply, and finding suppliers in general. “We don’t know who’s out there and who has what. I just don’t have the time to spend hours on the phone trying to track down a local source for a particular item,” says Lilas. And keeping students informed about what and how much of their meals are locally sourced takes time. Research in

U.S. universities has shown that students want to know more about their food. One half of those surveyed preferred table tents and brochures on food line or table, a simple way to keep food origins top of mind, especially among new students who may not be aware of the university’s involvement in the local food economy. The U of A’s Augustana campus has thoughtfully addressed their role as food consumers, how their actions can contribute to positive change for their local community and how they can be a model for others to follow. Though not without its challenges, the rewards of serving local food far outweigh the initial bumps in the procurement road. It is a road that Augustana is proud to be travelling.

Submitted by Patricia Macklin
Rural Development

The Power of One

AND

One life can make a difference

Author unknown

Contact the APRCWA Office
#106-7000 113 Street
Edmonton, AB T5H 5T6
Ph: 780-422-0922
Fax: 780-427-4227
Email: aprcwa@interbaun.com
Website: www.ruralcrimewatch.ab.ca

Editor’s note. Articles are always solicited for upcoming editions of The Bulletin, and to date we have been very fortunate to receive information from a variety of sources. Please note that articles in The Bulletin express the opinion of the contributor/writer, and are not the opinion of the Provincial Board. The Board does not condone or promote vigilantism or the taking of the law into the hands of common citizens. Please take the information you glean from articles in this newsletter with a grain of salt, and consider the current climate that the article may have been written in.

Disclaimer: Editorial opinion, reports and articles published herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association.

Deadlines for Submission to the Bulletin: March 15, June 15, September 15 and November 15

Thank you to the United Farmer’s Association for their support of APRCWA - they print and help distribute this newsletter. We couldn’t do it without you!

Disclaimer: Editorial opinions, reports and articles published herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association.