SASKATOON — Bear spray attacks increased by 16 per cent during 11 months this year, according to data from the Saskatoon Police Service. There were even seven reported cases from Oct. 11 to 14, one of which involved two minors.
Data provided by SPS showed from Jan. 1 to Nov. 15, 2024, that there were 276 reported incidents where bear spray or caustic/burning liquid was the weapon used in an assault compared to 238 in the same period last year.
SPS has also either responded to 11 incidents where bear spray was discharged or arrested suspects who possess canisters of the said wildlife control product from Oct. 20 to Nov. 28. Seven of the incidents where bear spray was discharged. One of the seven incidents even happened inside a Saskatoon Transit bus, while four cases of arrests found suspects in possession of bear spray canisters aside from illegal drugs and other deadly weapons.
SPS, in a statement sent to Â鶹ÊÓƵ, said they are monitoring the troubling rise in bear spray-related incidents this year, where it is mainly used as a weapon for assault or in robberies. Based on the current trend, they expect incidents to reach about 285 by the end of the year.
SPS said they are proactively preventing further incidents and strictly enforcing the provincial regulations introduced early this year that restrict the possession of bear sprays or any capsaicin-contained wildlife control products in Saskatchewan’s public urban areas. Violations include defacing or altering bear spray canisters to hide the product. People violating the provincial regulations could be fined up to $100,000.
“This proactive approach allows officers to issue tickets when possession of bear spray is found, even if no criminal offence has been committed. The legislation aims to prevent bear spray from being misused in public spaces, and offenders must appear in court,” said SPS.
SPS added that the sudden increase in bear spray-related crimes is part of their broader concern, so they implemented a Neighbourhood Safety Intervention Strategy to address these issues.
“A crime analyst is working to understand better the nature of these incidents, including where they are concentrated, who is involved, and what motivates the offenders. This comprehensive analysis will allow SPS to develop a tailored strategy to reduce these incidents and enhance public safety,” said SPS.
The majority of reported bear spray incidents happened in the city’s core neighbourhoods, with one accounting for 21 per cent of all reported bear spray attacks based on SPS’ data analysis.
“This focused analysis of reported data allows SPS to strategically concentrate enforcement efforts in these areas, improving response times and ultimately working to reduce the occurrence of such attacks,” the statement ended.
