A high volume of gun calls in North Central Regina has some residents in the area calling for change.
Lorne Gill, a social worker at the John Howard Society, says more needs to be done to reduce crime in North Central. He’s concerned by the number of gunshots he hears, and wants more support for the community.
“I think there needs to be assertive outreach with these kids, and I don’t think it needs to be the police,” Gill told CTV News.
Instead, Gill feels community members should be involved with youth in the neighbourhood. He says he’s had multiple clients who were victims of random shootings. There have been four shootings in the last six months.
“Every week there is a police incident, or a house had burned down,” he said.
According to Statistics Canada, the rate of gun-related violence in Saskatchewan increased by 47 per cent last year. Regina and the surrounding area had 18 reported gun calls in 2013. In 2017, that number jumped to 48 calls.
“It’s not just North Central,” said Sgt. Casey Ward with the Community Engagement Unit of the Regina Police Service. “It’s throughout the city. Our patrol officers day in and day out are stopping vehicles and located handguns, sawed-off rifles.”
The North Central Family Centre says things are changing in the neighbourhood.
“Many times over the last 18 years, I’ve seen preventative programs that really do make a difference,” said Sandy Wankel, founder and executive director of the North Central Family Centre.
Police say gun violence is growing in the city, but say it’s not just centralized to one spot.
Community-based organizations do see a bright future in the North Central area.
Based on a report by CTV Regina's Colton Wiens
