A Watch Commander with the Saskatoon Police Service describes the rise in meth use over the past couple of years as an explosion. Staff Sergeant Darren Pringle says it has a large impact on the community and poses quite a challenge.

He explains that meth costs about half of what cocaine does and it’s more euphoric with a longer lasting high, and when you are coming down from it, it can be physically painful. That leads to an incredible drive to replicate the high, which leads to an increase in crime. Pringle says, “Quite often when people come in for thefts or they are in stolen autos, or waving a machete around or they bear sprayed somebody – we had lots of events last weekend – as they are being searched either on the scene or in detention, methamphetamine is found.”

Pringle explains that it can be a challenge for officers in an encounter with someone who is high on meth because the drug over time can erode emotional and cognitive ability, and it increases your pain threshold while you are high.

The total number of charges for trafficking and possession of meth in 2012 was 19 and last year is was 477. To date, there have been about 290 charges this year, so Pringle believes we are on track for another increase.

Staff Sergeant Pringle says finding more social programs to help people who are addicted is the goal and that work has begun through the Safe Community Action Alliance, which is a group of almost 3 dozen stakeholders including police, trying to find solutions.