The Saskatoon Police Service released a report outlining crime in the city as well as interactions with the homeless community.
The report, set to be discussed at Wednesday’s governance and priorities committee, shows that the number of interactions fire crews have had with inadequately housed people increased 65.6 per cent between 2023 and 2022.
The fire department has said that the number of interactions with encampments almost doubled in that time period as well.
The report looked at the Confederation Suburban area and the Fairhaven community, with the fire department also noting an increase in ‘sharps incidents’, where items like needles are recovered, between 2022 and 2023.
Overdose incidents in the city have also been on the rise, with the report showing that the fire department received 289 calls in 2019, with that number hitting a high of 1,395 in 2023.
The Saskatoon Police Service said it received a record number of calls for service in 2023, receiving over 150,000 calls — said to be a 12 per cent increase over the number of calls in 2022.
Police also said that property crime increased by 6.87 per cent in that same time period, and violent crimes increased by 7.33 per cent.
The police service looked at calls for service in the Fairhaven community and the Confederation Suburban Centre, saying that calls for service reflect a community’s perception of safety.
“Police aim to find the balance between responding to citizen concerns, and encouraging vulnerable populations to access community supports available to them to ensure appropriate response to difficult situations,” the report said.
It said police have seen increased calls that reflect social disorder, which can turn into criminal activity, but also reflect addictions, homelessness, mental health or other non-criminal issues.
Police said that while officers respond to these calls, they often don’t result in arrests.
“The social disorder call types make up just over half of the calls for service received in Confederation SC and just under half of the calls for service received in Fairhaven.”
Violent crime stats and property crime stats for the Fairhaven community were given, with police saying that violent crime stats fluctuated between December 2021 and December 2023.
Police said property crime stats almost doubled between December 2022 and September 2023.
Similar stats for the Confederation Suburban area were given, with police saying there was an increase in violent crimes, pointing to assaults and robberies.
“Property crime in Confederation SC has also increased significantly. The most significant increase was due to Shoplifting Under $5,000 specifically at one commercial business.”
Comparisons to other neighbourhoods were given as well, with violent crimes and property crimes meeting or exceeding the numbers seen in Fairhaven and Confederation Suburban Centre depending on the neighbourhood.
The police also address crime statistics related to the Emergency Wellness Centre in Saskatoon.
“As the building was previously Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall, crime at the EWC has increased.”
The top calls listed for the location between December 2021 and January 2024 were disturbances, needing an ambulance, community initiative, suspicious persons and intoxication.
Police said an operational plan was created when the Emergency Wellness Centre opened to understand the impacts to community safety.
They added that alternative response officers are deployed regularly to the area.
With another shelter slated for the Idylwyld Drive Corridor, police said that alternative response officers could be deployed to that area as well once the service provider’s plan is clear and an evaluation is made.
“The SPS understands that this location will be operated under a different business model than other
shelters and as such will require a different response.”
The governance and priorities committee begins at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday at city hall.