The Saskatoon Police Service has an arson task force working on the increasing number of incidents so far this year, including 29 in an area between Avenue K and Avenue Y in recent weeks, but the charges against 2 men actually came from the community. Central Division Inspector, Cam McBride, says the public played an integral role in the identification of the men in connection to a fire on Avenue L South on May 26th.

He emphasizes that when police are working on crime patterns and trends, it’s often information from the public that identifies suspects and breaks the case. There is nothing specific at this point that connects the 2 men charged in the May 26th fire with other fires, but McBride says the potential is there and he wouldn’t be at all surprised.

McBride points out 4 people were originally charged in the Avenue L fire and all 4 were found to be in possession of crystal meth.
He suggests as meth use increases, so do thefts, disturbance complaints, and mental health related calls for service.

The Inspector also touched on the death of an unarmed black man killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the ensuing violent protests. He calls it a heartbreaking tragedy that runs even deeper when you consider all the work that has been done as police services to educate members on issues in the community to fight against racism. From a local perspective, McBride says he is very encouraged, because he can look at what has been done locally to rebuild relationships to fight against racism. There was a peaceful anti-racism rally in Saskatoon on Saturday with over 200 people in attendance.

McBride says officers were there to ensure safety and not to disperse people because of the failure to socially distance themselves.
There were a few complaints to police about the safety protocols, but McBride says it’s up to Public Health to take the lead on whether there should be an investigation.