The Provincial Opposition is sounding the alarm on what they say is a lack of protection over Saskatchewan communities from the provincial government after Statistics Canada released their latest figures in the Crime Severity Index.

The Saskatchewan NDP Deputy Leader Vicki Mowat says the provincial government needs to prioritize mental health and addiction supports to combat the issue.

The overall crime severity index for the province is 153.9 for 2024 down from 162.17 from the previous year and violent crime in the province is 198.53 last year, down from 205.40 in 2023.

Despite the decrease the Saskatchewan NDP say the provincial government is ignoring the issues related to the crime in the province.

Mowat says the days of keeping front doors unlocked and the ability to walk down the street at night are over and people in Saskatchewan do not feel safe.

Mowat says the provincial government has wasted time and public dollars on establishing a Marshall Service that creates more bureaucracy and takes resources away from the RCMP and local police forces.  “The Saskatchewan Party has repeatedly missed hiring targets for police and actually went so far to cut funding in the budget for mental health and addictions supports which can be used to address the root causes of crime.”

Mowat says the Government has allowed over 2,000 public housing units to sit vacant and says housing support would go far to improve public safety, and more dollars should be poured into mental health and addictions. “We can get people off the street, get them help with battling their addictions and they can get their life back.”

The Saskatchewan Government responded by saying the provincial crime rate has decreased and significant emphasis has been put towards addressing gangs, drugs and weapons issues to reduce crime and victimization which has been done by investing in policing.