The commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP says he stands behind the work his officers are doing, amid criticism over public safety and response times.
Earlier this week, officials at Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) called for First Nations-led policing, citing a lack of police presence in some Saskatchewan communities.
In a public statement Thursday, Assistant Commissioner Robin McNeil, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, said he wanted to address the “public dialogue” about the quality of the RCMP’s service.
“I understand communities are frustrated with violence, addictions and other social issues,” McNeil said.
“We are as well, and RCMP officers across this province work very hard every day responding to these issues, among other calls for service.”
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McNeil said the provincial police have been transparent about service calls, citing statistics that say calls in Saskatchewan have risen by 45 per cent, and violent crime has increased by the same number over the last decade.
The police force, he said, is only one part of the response to crime that is affected by complex social issues.
“Social issues like addiction, gang involvement, and mental health have significant impacts on communities and contribute to calls for police service,” he said.
“We are committed to doing our part to address their root causes, but the fact of the matter is policing alone won’t solve them… social issues are complex and require a coordinated, multi-agency response to address them.”
MLTC chiefs said Tuesday they’re looking for more police presence in First Nations communities, as well as local police detachments with holding cells, and for these additions to be led by First Nations people.
They said they’ve seen police response times continually increase — over an hour in some communities — and would like to see immediate steps taken to address the problem.
McNeil said response times are impacted by the size of many of the detachments, as well as geographical challenges and potential issues caused by road and weather conditions.
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