Utoo Radio and Other News Sources, April 17, 2024 Fort McMurray 468 The First Nation in northern Alberta is addressing an increase in property crimes related to drug use, such as break-ins and vehicle theft. The community is issuing band council resolutions (BCRs) to ban certain people from the community, including drug dealers and those who house or assist dealers. The BCRs are shared with the RCMP and court and have grown from two bans in 2020 to about 20 active bans.

The police are acting to assist the First Nation when it enacts a BCR, which could include having the police present during an eviction to keep the peace.

Fort McMurray 468 First Nation Coun. Christopher Beausoleil has heard concerns around safety, drug activity, and violence and wants to make sure children are protected from drug use. Before being banned from the community, members are given an opportunity for rehabilitation, but if they don't want to work to get better or keep re-offending, they will be banned.

The nation will help people get mental health support, child care, cultural activities, and other programs through the community wellness program and a federally funded day treatment program. In 2023, the RCMP fielded 75 calls for service from the First Nation, down from 103 in 2021, and 36% of the calls were related to property crime.

The RCMP and First Nation are working together to bring down crime in the community by working on an agreement that will allow the RCMP to work from a building in the community provided by the First Nation. The office will help build relationships between community members and the police, and the office won't be staffed full-time.

A member of the Fort McMurray 468 First Nation, Betty Woodward, has installed a camera on her land after observing people bringing stolen goods back to the First Nation from Anzac. She is anxious to see a larger police presence in the community and believes that just because they live in a community doesn't mean they have to be forgotten.