Sask. NDP calls on province to address rising rates of firearm-related crime

(File photo)

The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the province to address rising rates of firearm-related crime following new data from Statistics Canada.

In a report released Tuesday, Stats Canada reported that Saskatchewan had the highest rate of gun-related violent crime among the provinces in 2024, at 120.1 incidents per 100,000 people.

Referencing these numbers, NDP MLA Hugh Gordon called on the government to take action during legislative assembly.

“When will the Sask. Party government begin to address rising rates of crime?”

Canada as a whole saw 14,488 firearm-related crimes in 2024, almost 200 fewer than in 2023.

As for the other prairie provinces, Manitoba had a rate of 81.3 incidents and Alberta had a rate of 49.3 incidents per 100,000 people, according to the report.

Community Safety Minister Michael Weger said the government takes the issue very seriously.

“We’re adding 100 new municipal police officers to the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Initiative, 160 municipal policing positions to the municipal police services grant program, and we’re hiring more marshals throughout the province,” he said.

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Gordon pressed the minister to answer for the amount of crime in the province. According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan had a crime severity index of 153.9 in 2024, nearly double the national average of 77.9 that year.

“Saskatchewan used to be the place where you could keep your doors unlocked. We now lead in gun violence crime severity,” he said.

“People don’t feel safe downtown or in their own communities after dark … how much more violence must occur under this minister’s watch before he takes action?”

Weger defended his government’s action and provided some recent statistics.

“Not only is this government funding more police officers to get more boots on the ground, we’re supporting the great work that is being done by teams like our crime reduction team,” he said.

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“For mid-year 2025, 73 firearms seized by these teams, 14 kilograms of cocaine seized, 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.

“That’s 91 individuals charged 445 criminal offences through these specialized teams. We’re taking [an] approach that will make sure our communities are safe and secure.”

Gordon responded by claiming the reason the number of law enforcement action is so high is because crime is “out of control.”

“I don’t take any solace in these supposedly impressive crime statistics that the minister proposes,” he said. “This is a deeply troubling distinction that no province should hope to hold. Families across Saskatchewan deserve to feel safe in their own communities.”

Weger said the government continues to look for solutions to ensure crime can be addressed.

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“We’re taking action to recruit further police officers to this province. We recently partnered with the RCMP municipal police services, the Saskatchewan Chiefs of Police to launch a national advertising campaign to recruit police officers to this province.”

The full Statistics Canada report can be found here.