The Wood Buffalo RCMP has been patrolling Fort McMurray on a regular basis since the city was placed under a forced evacuation due to one of the largest wildfires in history, and while much of their duties have been to rescue people who have not evacuated yet they have also had at least one report of theft or looting so far. Last Friday the police responded to a call about someone who was breaking into one of the residences in the city, and after using a canine unit to track the reported criminal the police arrested a local man at his home. The Wood Buffalo RCMP has stated that they will respond to any reports of theft or looting, and so far the only report of theft or looting was the incident that occurred Friday.
Fort McMurray is a close community in spite of the fact that many oil companies fly in/fly out much of the labor force. The fact that the entire city is full of empty homes as well as properties that have been destroyed and that there has only been a single report of looting or theft so far just shows the sense of community that most residents feel. The main purpose of the Wood Buffalo RCMP is to look for stragglers and people who did not heed the evacuation order and are still in the city in spite of the ongoing threat from the wildfire. A statement by RCMP Inspector Gibson Glavin explained “People need to understand that evacuation orders are issued for a reason, and that not leaving puts them and emergency responders at unnecessary risk.”
