Sask. officials evaluate terrorism risk

It might feel far away, but it could happen anywhere.

The recent terrorist attacks in Manchester and London have prompted Saskatchewan officials to speak out.

“In the wake of what’s happened in the U.K., people are just concerned, and rightly so,” Premier Brad Wall said. “There was a Canadian victim in that latest attack, and that has brought it home for everybody.”

Canada’s terrorism threat level has been medium since October 2014. Officials say Saskatchewan’s risk is low, but Wall says the province is working closely with the federal government to identify any risks.

“On a regular basis our police agencies and emergency responders, they drill, they train, they practice, they co-operate on responses to major emergencies of every scale and description,” he said.

Police Chief Evan Bray said Regina Police Service works closely with several agencies, including RCMP.

“At the new stadium, when we’ve got a Rider game going on, we do a lot of work, operational frontline street level work, to make sure people are safe but that includes safe routes in, safe routes out, that includes operational plans if we need to move large crowds at an instant’s notice,” he said.

“For Canada Day celebrations, both at the football game and then the park ending with fireworks at the end of the night, we will have a lot of officers on scene and present for that,” Bray said. “So approaching an officer, making a quick call to the police station here and saying ‘Look, there’s something that’s bothering me.’ It may be nothing but better to check it out than not.”

In recent years, there’s been at least one active investigation in Saskatchewan into someone who was radicalized.

“It’s about being vigilant and aware of your circumstances, looking for erratic behaviour, anything suspicious,” Curtis Zablocki, Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner, said.

Wall acknowledged the Islamic community’s help in the matter.

Officials said they don’t want to create panic, but they’re hoping to create awareness about possible threats.

Policing deputy minister Dale McFee said that when terrorist attacks are investigated after the fact, there are usually dozens of people who noticed something was out of the ordinary.

“But for some reason, they didn’t make that call to report it, and that’s the importance of this conversation now,” he said. “You need to pay attention, and paying attention means not being embarrassed to make a phone call.”

“I’d rather have ten of those calls that maybe didn’t make sense, than one when somebody didn’t call and something happens,” McFee added.