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Caucus Committee on Crime Report brings 8 recommendations

Aug 22, 2017 | 3:06 PM

It’s been 10 months since Premier Brad Wall’s call for a committee to review crime in Saskatchewan and the report is in. 

Eight members of the committee brought forth eight recommendations on policy to reduce crime across the province. The team collected testomonies from 10 separate communities over 12 days. 

The report states in many of the communities visited, the committee cited concers with staffing levels and visibility of local RCMP detachments. Low levels were attributed to Mounties on various leaves from parental, sick leave or vacation. 

The first recommendation was for the government of Saskatchewan to engage in communication with RCMP to ensure detachments have a full complement of officers. 

The committee suggested the government allow for greater access to video court services to reduce transport time for inmates.

In response, the Ministry of Justice has started working with RCMP to establish officer priorities with a new focus on rural crime. 

A team of 120 officers from RCMP and municipal policing services dubbed the Provincial Enforcement Team is being created to address the concerns related to policing.

The second recommendation made by the committee is to increase alternative policing programs like community safety officers, community constables or rural crime watches in rural communities. A full-time employee should be dedicated to fostering the Community Safety Officer program, according to the committee. 

When it comes to young offenders, the committee said the Youth Criminal Justice Act is “not enough of a deterrent to stop youth from committing crimes.” According to the collected testimony, the committee discovered youth crimes could be tied to family, friends and gangs encouraging offenders to commit crime on their behalf “because they knew that the youth would not suffer as severe repercussions if caught.”

It recommended the Government of Saskatchewan lobby the federal government to strengthen the Youth Criminal Justice Act to “ensure increased consequences” for young offenders. It was also recommended to increase the consequences for adults encouraging youth to commit crimes.

A commitment was made to write a letter to the federal Minister of Justice requesting a review of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

In response to concerns raised by rural participants, it was recommended to develop a strategy with SUMA and SARM to fund automatic license plate recognition systems in all police vehicles and an interagency database to store the information. It was also suggested the province add a front licence plate to vehicles to make identification easier.

In response, the ministry will work with SGI to ensure the new Provincial Enforcement Team’s vehicles are fitted with automatic licence plate recognition technology.

The fifth recommendation to the government of Saskatchewan was to lobby the federal government to provide equal funding to on and off reserve Indigenous services.  The committee recommended working with Indigenous communities to create a “Hub” model of services for collaborative care.

In response, the Ministry of Justice will work with Indigenous communities and leaders to develop the network, including those which are tech enabled.

The sixth recommendation is the creation of more school liaison officers in rural regions by community request to build trust with youth.

“This would provide an effective avenue for police to be engaged in the process of educating children,” the report states.

In response the Ministry of Justice will work to create more school liaison officer positions as well as work with communities to rebuild rural crime watch networks. The government of Saskatchewan is also partnering with Innovation Saskatchewan to pilot a project designed to find solutions to rural crime and how technology can be used to improve rural safety and security.

The seventh recommendation made by the committee’s report revolved around restoring gang exit strategies. In response the government will work with Indigenous leaders to create an Aboriginal Gang Exit strategy led by Indigenous people.

In September ministers and deputy ministers in the justice and social services department will meet with federal officials to present and request funding to build a Western Canada Aboriginal Gang Strategy.

The final recommendation dealt with mental health and addiction. The committee recommended expanding existing services across the province to improve timely access to services. 

In response the Ministry of Justice will fund the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit to target drugs such as crystal meth and fentanyl, which drive property crimes.

Safer Communities and Neighborhood resources around the Prince Albert region will be expanded to enhance investigative services in the North.

 

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