An increase in violent crime across Saskatchewan has prompted an investment from the provincial government, one the minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety calls historic.
Paul Merriman says $17.1 million in new money will aim to target crime, violence and disturbances in communities across the province.
“This investment includes an additional $11.9 million to hire roughly 100 new officers for municipal policing services across our province…Here in the city of Saskatoon, that will translate to $4.4 million in new funding to hire approximately 37 additional frontline officers,” states Minister Merriman.
Also, 14 more ‘Safer Communities and Neighborhoods’ or SCAN officers will be hired, doubling the current number of SCAN officers in the province.
“They work in communities across the province, investigating homes and businesses suspected of conducting illegal activities, ” Merriman explains.
In addition to the new officers, an additional $2.5 million dollars over the next three years will be invested into the Saskatchewan Police College. This will allow the College to hire full time instructors and double the number of recruits they are training each year.
In an effort to crack down on crime through the justice system, Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre says several community bylaw court hubs will be established across the province, a model that has worked very well in Kindersley.
“Its municipal bylaw court brings together 43 communities across the southwest and has significantly increased compliance with bylaws and diverted bylaw matters away from regular provincial court dockets.”
Eyre says work is currently being done to establish where the hubs will be placed.
The Fine Option Program will also be tweaked, so all offenders can be held accountable, regardless of their financial situation. This will give offenders additional options for ‘working off’ their tickets.
City Councilor Cynthia Block says these enhancements and changes will help boost safety in Saskatoon, but this approach is only one piece of the puzzle.
“The crises that we are facing, there’s really three of them. We have a drug crisis, an affordability crisis, and a housing crisis, and they’re all connected. I think the evidence has been really clear, that when people are safely housed, crime goes down, and community safety and well-being go up.”
Police Chief Cameron McBride thanks the province for their continued partnership and investment in the safety of Saskatoon.
