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By Teena Monteleone

Missing Persons Week

Police and families across province share ‘Stories, not Statistics’ as part of Missing Persons Week

May 1, 2024 | 6:00 AM

Kristopher Billette of Buffalo River Dene Nation, Byran Watson of Maple Creek and William ‘Michael’ Neuman of Canora have one tragic thing in common; they were all reported missing in 2023 and so far, have not been found.

They are just some of the 2,533 individuals reported missing to Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdictions last year; 550 missing males, 450 missing females and 1,150 youths. But, they are more than just numbers or names in a police file.

“They are loved and deeply missed by their families and friends, and we hope that, as we mark Missing Persons Week, we can help support loved ones, while raising awareness about missing persons cases in Saskatchewan,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre at a ceremony in Regina Tuesday followed by a walk in Wascana Park to honour the missing.

Events will be held across the province this week by members of the Saskatchewan Missing Persons Partnership (SMPP) – a collaboration of government, police agencies, Indigenous and community-based organizations. Its goal is to raise awareness about missing persons, share safety tools and prevention tips, coordinate policies and legislation and support agencies that offer programs and services to families when a loved one goes missing.

In Saskatchewan, there are more than 140 long-term missing persons. In a press release, RCMP said, “No two missing persons case are the same and each investigation that takes place is treated as uniquely as the missing person themselves. Though all investigations have their own story, the desired outcome remains the same: bringing missing persons home to their families.”

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The Saskatchewan RCMP missing persons coordinator is Const. Brendan Sanford. He said there are many different circumstances that can lead to a missing persons report being made. Those circumstances decide which of the RCMP’s internal and partner resources are activated. This includes police dog services, remotely piloted aerial vehicles, the search and rescue unit and more.

At municipal police services across the province, its much the same. In Prince Albert, officers continue to investigate several historical missing persons cases – some dating as far back as 1979. To honor missing persons week in P.A., an electronic billboard located at the intersection of 15^th St. W and Second Ave. W as well as in the 1800 block of Second Ave. W will be displaying photos of missing persons from the community and sharing their stories.

Anyone with information about a missing person in Saskatchewan is encouraged to contact their local police detachment or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Events will be held across Saskatchewan throughout the week by SMPP member organizations. A full 2024 events calendar can be found either online or on the SMPP’s social media channels.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @princealbertNOW