Reeve of Garden River Ryan Scragg says residents are feeling uneasy after a series of break-ins, including an overnight home invasion. “All of a sudden there’s people inside their homes. It’s a situation that nobody should have to deal with,” said Scragg. He says residents’ concerns have grown this month, with the rural community of 150 homes seeing at least eight instances of property crime in just one week. “We’re kind of a quiet community, and it seems like this has come upon us all of a sudden.” Scragg submitted a letter to the Ministry of Community Safety, saying his community has an urgent need for increased safety measures. He’s asking for a more visible police presence in rural Saskatchewan and additional resources to stop possible repeat offenses, including stronger legal consequences for individuals who commit the same crime multiple times. “People are scared,” he said. “Definitely this heightened tensions.” The Ministry of Community Safety says it’s received the letter and is working on a response to the community’s concerns. The Saskatchewan Marshals Service says it’s waiting to comment until the Ministry of Community Safety responds. The Saskatchewan RCMP confirmed it’s been in contact with residents of Garden River about property crimes in the area. RCMP provided CTV News with a statement on the recent break-ins. “The Prince Albert RCMP Detachment Commander has discussed the issue with MLA Eric Smaltz and Reeve Ryan Scragg. The detachment commander has spoken with representatives from other central Saskatchewan municipalities about concerns as well.” The statement adds Prince Albert RCMP has arranged for additional resources to be deployed in response to these concerns in Garden River, and Marshals will assist RCMP with patrols. RCMP is asking residents to report all crimes so “police officers get a clearer picture of the types and numbers of crimes occurring in their area. This information helps them launch future police projects, initiatives and education campaigns within the area and the province.”
