A unique partnership between a UCalgary Faculty of Social Work research-action hub, Cochrane RCMP, and Big Hill Haven is offering a roadmap to stop domestic violence before it starts in Alberta.
Partners in the project, from left: Kenneth Fyie, Const. Melanie McIntosh, Professor Lana Wells, Wanda McGinnis, and Inspector David Brunner. Ziyana Kotadia at Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence
Released Thursday (Nov 13), Domestic Violence in Cochrane: What RCMP Data Reveals about Perpetration is a new report providing one of the province's most detailed looks at the trends behind local domestic violence perpetration.
Taking up RCMP data covering the Town of Cochrane, Rocky View County, and the Stoney Nakoda Nations, this report covers a five-year analysis (2020-2024) and a look into the histories of men who were charged with a domestic violence crime in 2024.
The findings reveal that domestic violence is escalating in the community. Between 2020 and 2024, domestic violence in Cochrane rose by nearly 60 per cent, highlighting the need for urgent action.
The study also reveals that most men who were charged with a domestic violence crime in 2024 were already known to the RCMP before their arrest; 75 per cent of these men already had criminal charges on record, and 68 per cent had previous police-reported domestic encounters.
These findings align with a 2024 UCalgary study, which looked at a decade of Calgary Police Service data and found that 73% of men who perpetrated domestic violence crimes had prior contact with police.
"Red flags show up right before domestic violence crimes happen," says Lana Wells, lead author of the research and Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence. "The vast majority of men charged with domestic violence are already on the radar of law enforcement, and that means we're missing a vital opportunity to intervene before violence escalates."
Wells is an associate professor at the Faculty of Social Work and leads Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, the research-action hub behind this new research. Shift is the only initiative of its kind in Canada to focus on the primary prevention of gender-based violence. Since its inception in 2010 at UCalgary, Wells and her team at Shift have been researching and addressing root causes to prevent violence from happening.
A closer look at the data
The research examined both the prevalence and severity of violence, finding that 56 per cent of domestic violence charges in 2024 involved assault, assault with a weapon, or assault causing bodily harm. And half of all reported domestic violence charges in 2024 involved a child who witnessed the violence or was present in the home when it occurred.
Wells calls these findings alarming and points to the need for early intervention.
"When children grow up surrounded by abuse or threats, the impact is profound even if the violence isn't directed at them," she says. "We know from decades of research that these experiences increase the risk of both using and experiencing violence later in life. If we want to break the cycle, we have to change those trajectories early."
The findings also highlight a growing need for coordinated and proactive prevention strategies that address men's mental health, substance use, and social supports. Nearly half of all charges in 2024 involved alcohol a reminder that substance use and violence often intersect.
"Ending domestic violence isn't just about enforcement," says Inspector David Brunner, Cochrane RCMP Detachment Commander. "It's about understanding the risk factors, patterns of perpetration, and working with our community partners to act earlier. We need to better support men and their families before violence escalates."
Community solutions to prevent violence
While most men who were charged with a domestic violence crime in 2024 were known to the RCMP, about 1 in 5 of these men had no prior contact with law enforcement.
"This shows us that ending violence begins with supporting men and boys where they already are in schools, on hockey rinks, in workplaces, churches, and online spaces," Wells explains. "We have to connect with these men in their communities before they become first-time offenders."
The report authors recommend that the Government of Alberta invest in services for men and families that are non-stigmatizing and promote responsibility, accountability, and healing rather than shame.
Project collaborator Wanda McGinnis, Executive Director at Big Hill Haven, shares that these findings are already informing new prevention and early-intervention projects in Cochrane.
"This report shows what's possible when universities collaborate with the community," says McGinnis. "Working alongside the RCMP, UCalgary researchers, and local leaders is how we move from reacting to violence to preventing it."
Wells adds that the partnership marks a turning point for how communities can use local data as a prevention tool. "When law enforcement, service providers, and researchers work hand in hand, we can identify early warning signs, support men before violence escalates, and make homes safer for everyone."
Read the report here: https://preventdomesticviolence.ca/domestic-violence-in-cochrane-what-rcmp-data-reveals-about-perpetration/
