RCMP and Marshals commit to decreasing rural crime in Prince Albert area

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“A number of weapons were recovered from the vehicle as well as multiple unrelated vehicle keys,” he said. 

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As per details published by paNOW last week, between August and October, there were 58 reports of break-and-enters in the Prince Albert RCMP detachment area and 122 reports of thefts. Lake expressed his sympathy for property owners who have been victimized and the many others feeling on edge. 

“I want you to know your concerns raised are heard,” Lake said, stating the plan going forward is to increase patrols and continue working with the Marshals Service and other policing partners. 

“We have a vested interest in the safety of this community. We live here too, and I’m proud of the work we’re doing.” 

Lake recognized the work of the local crime watch groups and responded to a concern related to why police do not release details about every incident. 

“The reason is that it reduces the effectiveness of these operations, but we commit to reporting the outcome of these when the time is appropriate,” he said. 

From mid-September to date, the Sask. RCMP’s Warrant Enforcement and Suppression team made 17 arrests related to property crime and weapons offences, executed 47 warrants and laid 19 new charges. 

From left to right: Robert Lake, Michael Weger and Jesse Barlow. (Image Credit: Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

This past weekend’s operation, as well as work done over the past few months, was a result of a partnership between the RCMP and the Marshals Service. Superintendent Jesse Barlow stated the weekend operation was developed on Friday and executed on Friday. 

“Sometimes those issues are immediate, and we need to provide an immediate response.” 

Barlow explained they were able to round up four Marshals for Friday and Saturday, and the intelligence they gathered was shared with the RCMP. 

“Many of our members have strong ties to Prince Albert and surrounding communities. We recognize crime impacts not only victims in the broader public but friends, family and communities close to us,” he said. “So this is not just a police response; it’s a community response.” 

Also present for Friday’s press conference was Minister of Community Safety and the Minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency Michael Weger.  

“The reality is we have seen an increase in rural crime year over year, so we need to respond because at the end of the day, the priority of our government is that everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their community and, most importantly, their homes.” 

Weger confirmed he met with the RCMP and the Marshals and heard about their collaborations. During questions from the media, Weger responded to a question about chronic re-offenders getting released. He said the government’s budget added two million dollars to the electronic monitoring program. 

“And we’re having further discussions here in the office today about gathering further information on individuals who may have committed these types of crimes (vehicle thefts and property) and making sure there is an added focus on monitoring those individuals.” 

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com