Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Cukier, one of the issues that is problematic in our study is the difficulty in understanding the nature of what is being called rural crime. We have heard comments from the RCMP, individuals and organizations. One of the problems faced in rural areas is the response time, meaning the time it takes for the RCMP to arrive at the scene of an incident. This response time is relatively long. Let's just say it is more often long than short. Questions arise about human resources and the appropriate equipment for police officers. That being said, we understand that this part of police intervention takes place after the crime has been committed.
You mentioned that the crime rate was twice as high in the three Prairie provinces. Yet, the resources in this area are, on average, the same as in the rest of Canada. There may be fewer in Alberta, but things have changed. From the outset, we have therefore been wondering why the crime rate is higher in these regions.