Here is where Saskatchewan ranked among homicides in Canada in 2021
Saskatchewan’s homicide rate is among the highest of Canadian provinces, according to a recent report released by Statistics Canada on Nov. 21.
Among census metropolitan areas, Regina recorded the highest homicide rate at 5.67 per 100,000 people.
Regina had 15 homicides in 2021 and Saskatoon had eight.
“I think that anytime we have residents killing other residents, it's a complete tragedy,” Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said. “I think that it's not what we want to make the news for.”
The report states that Saskatchewan had 70 homicides last year, or 5.93 per 100,000 people.
“Homicides are the most serious crime that a community sees and we see, you know, the victimization and the trauma that comes from that, it really does affect the community,” Regina Police Chief Evan Bray explained.
Saskatchewan also reported the highest number of gang-related homicides at 2.12 per 100,000 population, which is a 9 per cent increase from 2020.
“We do know that gangs, drugs and firearms are all intertwined and so for us, it's not about just targeting one of those. We have real focused efforts on all three of those areas,” Bray said.
Masters said there are ways to prevent gang related crime and it starts at a young age.
“Ultimately, the only way to correct crime 10 years from now is actually get to the kids and so the younger, the better,” Masters said.
Masters also said the city is looking to partner with schools and organizations that look at youth involvement in things other than gangs and try to find a place to belong.
Overall, Canada reported 788 homicides in 2021, 29 more than in 2020.
Manitoba had the second highest homicide rate among the provinces, with 61 homicides or 4.41 per 100,000 people.
Thunder Bay, Ont. recorded 5.67 per 100,000 people and Winnipeg recorded 5.39 per 100,000 people.
In a statement to CTV News, Saskatchewan RCMP said they have seen an increase in homicides the last two years.
Superintendent Josh Graham, Officer in Charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes, said they have seen an increase in gang-related or involved homicides that are complex and difficult to investigate.
“Our Major Crimes investigators do an outstanding job in balancing our response to newly reported and continuing homicide investigations and preparing them for prosecution in court; however, the increasing number of homicides has not been met with an additional number of investigative resources,” he said.
Regina Treaty Status Indian Services (RTSIS) provides programming to assist those impacted by crime.
“If you need to debrief yourself, there are always a client or, you know, somebody with an open ear, staff member, everybody's always willing to talk with you,” Garnett Tootoosis Jr explained, who is a transitional support worker for RTSIS.
Tootoosis Jr. said he has seen the impact of Regina’s high crime rate and said drugs are a significant contribution to the homicide problem.
“Not only did we lose somebody in our family, but the family of the victim also suffered a great loss, (and) it affected me quite a bit,” Tootoosis Jr. said.
Tootoosis Jr. is hoping that programs like the ones at RTSIS become more readily available to support families.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.