Crime on the rise in rural Nova Scotia community of Avonport: councillor

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Nestled between the Avon River and Gaspereau River in King’s County, Avonport, N.S. is a serene, quiet community.

The area is known for its picturesque views of the waterfront scenery. However, more recently, it is becoming known for its rise in crime.

District 9 councillor Peter Allen said that over the last two years the community has seen a dramatic increase in crime — particularly thefts.

“It’s been bad. It’s increased drastically in the area,” Allen said, “and many don’t even report it anymore.”

On Thursday, RCMP scheduled a community meeting at the L.E. Shaw Elementary school to address the escalating crime.

Allen said that during the meeting, RCMP said it is not able to increase police presence in the community, and police advised community members on ways to protect their property.

“Keep the yard well lit to discourage the thieves from coming on to the property, to keep your vehicles locked, and hide valuables to discourage thieves from approaching the property,” said Allen.

The councillor said the community frequently holds public meetings to keep residents in contact with the RCMP and to encourage people to report criminal activity.

According to Statistics Canada, people living in rural areas are more likely to be impacted by crime.

The report said that in 2021, rural police services reported 412,931 criminal code violations that exclude traffic and other federal violations.

This is a rate of 7,033 incidents per 100,000-person population, while police in urban areas reported 4,919 incidents per 100,000-person population.

The report also said the gap between rural and urban crime rates has grown over the past decade.

CTV News reached out to RCMP, but did not hear back.

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