‘Let’s take some responsibility’: Saskatoon detective advocates for more surveillance cameras around the city

WATCH: Police are using security camera footage more than ever in their investigations, and a Saskatoon police detective says if you want to help fight crime, t

The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) is increasingly using video surveillance to help solve crimes in our city and a lead detective in charge of a high-profile murder case is asking community members, businesses and organizations to do their part.

Surveillance footage shared by police in a recent call for tips in a murder investigation is the type of evidence homicide detective Sergeant Matt Ingrouille wants to see more of, stressing that video like this should be more readily available.

He’s the detective in the case of a man fatally beaten behind Fairhaven School just over a year ago. So far, it’s being considered a random attack.

Ingrouille, a 20-year SPS veteran thinks the early investigation could’ve gone very differently under different circumstances — had there been a security camera on the parking lot behind the Fairhaven School where 66-year-old Harvey Zoerb was fatally beaten on his morning walk to the nearby 7-11 in June 2024.

“This is the 21st century. It’s cheap to store video. It’s cheap to get cameras. Let’s take some responsibility of the crime that’s happening in and around our owned businesses or our owned organizations,” Ingrouille told CTV News.

“If we had a camera on that school, it would have caught this entire incident,” he said.

Ingrouille says if people want to help improve community safety, putting up their own surveillance cameras is a vital way to contribute.

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“I think that crime is a community issue and that we all have a responsibility to play,” he said.

“Yes, the police are the ones that ultimately, you know, put the actual effort in and are paid to get out there and try to solve these crimes.”

Saskatoon Public Schools says cameras aren’t installed at all of facilities, and the condition of the equipment varies widely.

“Some of our elementary schools have working cameras, some have camera systems that require system upgrades, and some of our elementary schools have no cameras. There is currently no exterior camera at Fairhaven School,” said Colleen Cameron, Saskatoon Public Schools spokesperson.

Students attending public schools are supervised inside and on school grounds.

Stephen Gabrush with Syntex Technologies has looked after many school camera systems over the years.

“Cameras are a great tool for the security tool kit for any sort of a business or any sort of an organization. But for them to operate properly, they do need to be maintained, and they do need to be updated to keep up with technology in the long term,” Gabrush, told CTV News.

Saskatoon Public says it’s committed to expanding its surveillance network.

“We have identified that expanding our interior and exterior camera network would be beneficial in ensuring the safety of staff, students, and school division property. This would require significant additional capital and operating funds. We’ve estimated this cost at $1.5 million capital and $135,000 annual operating (maintenance, licensing, etc.).”

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools spokesperson Derreck Kunz told CTV News; their schools have cameras at all seven of their high schools and 27 of 38 elementary schools in the city.

“Any new schools or major renovations will have security cameras,” said Kunz.

Sergeant Ingrouille would like to see those working camera numbers improved for everyone’s safety.