A group of concerned citizens from Nordegg are raising the alarm about increasing crime in the hamlet.

Eric Smith with the Nordegg Recreation area says vandalism at the site began in late April 2025, with three total incidents this year alone.

Smith adds, before this year, there was only one instance of vandalism at the site since the early 1970s.

And it’s not just there— seasonal cabin owners have been hit by crime, prompting owners who can’t be there all the time to install surveillance equipment.

Derek Bostok, resident and member of the the Nordegg Community Association says a brand new side-by-side was stolen right from his driveway, while a neighbor had his garage broken into the same night.

Smith estimates the cost of theft and vandalism around the community to be around $175,000.

Concerningly, a letter sent to council from the association says criminals are becoming increasingly savvy, as it says incidents seem to happen when RCMP aren’t in town or are in between shift change.

The group appeared before Clearwater County council on July 22, saying despite best efforts from residents, perpetrators are gaining access to properties on county land, where property owners have little authority or ability to set up countermeasures such as security.

Nordegg area residents Eric Smith and Derek Bostock appear before Clearwater County council, July 22, 2025. (YouTube)

While Smith didn’t have any specific suggestions for council, he asked council members to bear the issue in mind.

“We can’t transfer this to the RCMP, they’re dealing with a lot of stuff,” says Smith. “The only way to treat it is as a community.”

Bostok equates what some residents are experiencing to “violence”.

“Violence is when you have masked, grown men in packs of six or eight, with tools, roaming your property,” he says.

The group says those who live north of the hamlet site are particularly vulnerable to theft, as it’s very dark there at night and there aren’t a lot of people out and about.

Council resolved to bring its concerns to the attention of RCMP, discuss it further at a future Strategic Planning meeting, and consider a possible resolution to be brought to the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA).