Saskatoon residents concerned about gangs: survey

A new survey reveals Saskatoon residents are concerned with gang activity in the city.

The Saskatoon Police Service contracted Insightrix Research Limited to conduct the survey last year. It asked people how satisfied they are with the Saskatoon Police Service, if officers use appropriate force and which crime issues they are most concerned about. Gangs were at the top of the list.

According to police and residents, gang activity is on the rise and changing.

Richard Bear said he grew up around gangs and is friends with gang members. He said disputes used to be settled with fists, but now, they’re settled with guns.

“It used to be old school – one on one – now there is no honour,” Bear said.

The fear of gangs is on the rise in Saskatoon. A 2003 survey found concerns surrounding gangs were only at five per cent – now it’s up to 26 per cent. The police chief said that perception is a reality.

“The gang activity is certainly heightened here and that's hand in hand with the drug activity in Saskatoon,” police Chief Clive Weighill said. “Meth and cocaine – drugs are a big business in Saskatoon.”

Police said in the last year and a half they've seen a steady increase in the amount of guns and violence connected to gangs. So far this year, they’ve responded to over a dozen shootings in the city.

"Sooner or later when you're seeing shootings in the city somebody innocent is going to get hurt,” Weighill said. “Yes, most of the violence we're seeing is between people who are in the gangs but its incumbent on police to make sure everyone is safe in the city."

The Saskatoon Police Service recently created a guns and gangs unit to disrupt and dismantle gangs. Chief Weighill said the unit will be fully functional by July 1st.

Amidst the concern, the study did find residents are happy with the city’s police service.

The findings shows 92 per cent of respondents are “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with the force. For visible minorities, satisfaction is at 97 per cent and satisfaction within the aboriginal population recorded at 87 per cent.

In addition to gang activity, the main concerns reported were response times of officers, the need for more officers, public drunkenness and vandalism.