On Saturday, our community experienced two homicides due to violence.
I want to extend my condolences to those whose loved ones have been the victims of this violence. Every loss due to violence is a tragedy and one that cannot be justified or explained.
These two incidents are under investigation and our police service has redeployed officers to assist with these files, or assist Patrol in responding to calls for service from other areas of our community. The trauma and pain that results from violence weighs heavily on all members of our police service, and I want to acknowledge the compassionate and diligent efforts of our front-line officers in responding to and investigating these incidents of violence.
In addition, investigators with our Criminal Investigations Division, Forensic Identification Section, and Crime Reduction Team have once again given up scheduled time off and time with family to respond, and I want to recognize their commitment to supporting the needs of our community.
Our police administration team continues to work to address violent crime in our community and has several sections dedicated to proactive policing, targeted enforcement, crime suppression, and community engagement.
We will continue to focus on addressing violence and the effects it has on public safety in our community.
We know that our community is struggling with an increase in weapons violence, addictions, poverty, mental health concerns, and calls related to inter-personal violence.
As a police service, we benefit from the work of our partner agencies to support vulnerable residents and families and connect them with programming and interventions.
We continue to support numerous community-based initiatives and are part of discussions around prevention, early intervention, and awareness, and we continue to promote healthy lifestyles for all residents in our community.
We also benefit from information and participation from our community to address crime.
We know there are a number of neighbourhood watch groups and community online forums for residents to discuss what they’re seeing in their neighbourhoods, and we know that residents are the eyes and ears of our community.
There are several ways to contact police with information and we want to hear from you about what you’re seeing in your neighbourhood. If you see something suspicious, please let us know.
Our police service continues to work to proactively address concerns and promote public safety for all residents in our community. As residents, community leaders, business owners, and advocates, your participation is integral to our work in policing Prince Albert.
We value your input as we continue to address crime and work to enhance safety in our community
