RCMP vehicle, Wikimedia Commons, CC License
Integrated Offender Management aims to cut repeat offenses and improve community safety
FORT McMURRAY, Alta. — As part of our ongoing series on the RCMP, Harvard media recently sat down to discuss with them how they handle repeat offenders, and people who are regularly involved in criminality.
The Alberta RCMP are using targeted strategies to monitor and reduce repeat criminal behaviour, including an Integrated Offender Management (IOM) program that focuses on prolific offenders causing the most harm in communities such as Fort McMurray.
IOM, currently active in several Eastern Alberta RCMP detachments including Lac La Biche and Cold Lake, uses a data-driven approach to identify high-risk individuals. Offenders are selected using the Risk-Need-Responsivity model, which guides police in assessing risk levels, identifying rehabilitation needs and developing personalized case plans. The RCMP says the program has helped reduce recidivism by an average of 33 per cent over time.
In the Wood Buffalo region, officers frequently encounter repeat offenders, although the nature of those encounters varies. Some individuals are regularly arrested for low-level offences, such as theft from local stores, and are released on conditions that provide greater opportunity for reoffending. Others may have served longer sentences for serious crimes and are less familiar to the public but still fall into the repeat offender category upon release.
The detachment’s Criminal Intelligence Unit and Crime Reduction Unit have launched proactive initiatives to target specific trends. A recent project focused on liquor thefts used plainclothes officers and specialized policing techniques at various local stores. RCMP say the effort led to a sharp drop in reported liquor thefts.
Officers also monitor high-risk individuals through routine compliance checks, conducted in partnership with local probation services. These checks are unannounced to ensure adherence to release conditions. If a breach is discovered, the offender can face further charges and arrest.
Wood Buffalo RCMP say repeat offences are an ongoing reality in policing, but through strategic intervention, the goal remains to reduce harm and support successful reintegration after incarceration.
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