Okotoks Town Council approved funds in the 2016 budget for three members to be added to the Okotoks RCMP Department.

Sgt. Sukh Randhawa says the additions will help strengthen the strong team they already have.

"It increases the strength of the watch in terms of the overall call volume and responding to 911 calls or concerns from the community," Randhawa says.

The additions are coming as the department has seen an increase in crime rates.

"Overall we are seeing and increase in everything from domestic violence, to break and enters, to drugs, we are seeing trends overall going up," Randhawa says.

Randhawa says the economic down turn is a cause for the increase in crime.

The new members are expected to join the detachment in July.