The letter from the board said the Community Support Program has seen a 'significant increase' in the number of people sleeping in encampments, parks and building vestibules.
Saskatoon’s board of police commissioners is calling for support from the provincial government, saying there is an urgent need for facilities and supports for people with complex needs.
A letter was sent from the board on June 8 to Minister of Health Paul Merriman, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Everett Hindley and Minister of Social Services Gene Makowsky, noting a 2022 annual report showed a concerning trend in the city.“In 2022, calls for outreach assistance surpassed all other calls for service. Outreach requests include housing issues, wellbeing checks, counselling, public safety, mental health, and medical assistance,” the letter read.
The board said police resources are being used to address complex needs, but officers often don’t have any place to take people and end up releasing these people back into the community without any support.It recognized that there are discussions underway between the City of Saskatoon and the province to try and find solutions and create a co-ordinated approach, but said they needed to stress the urgency of this work.
Hindley and Makowsky responded to the letter with their own on July 19, saying they were committed to finding solutions to address those issues with partners.
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