STC chief says crime issues are citywide according to new SPS and SFD report

The chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council says pushback from residents and others in the Fairhaven and Confederation Suburban Centre neighbourhoods is not about the homeless people and helping them, it’s about people not wanting the Emergency Wellness Centre in their neighbourhood.

STC Chief Mark Arcand said data from the recent “Community Changes and Response to Emergency Shelters” report that will be presented next week shows crime levelling off.

According to the report, “Property Crime had increased since the EWC opened, almost doubling before it began to decrease in late summer 2022. The current timeline shows that it is decreasing back towards levels seen in 2021.”

“It should be noted that property crime does tend to increase during the summer,” the report said. “Once data is available for summer of 2024, it will be easier to say with confidence if property crime has returned to levels similar to 2021.”

But Arcand says crime in general is affecting every neighbourhood, with levels higher than those seen in Fairhaven — including areas like City Park.

“Is there crime? Absolutely. But there’s crime all over our city,” he said. “It’s a city problem. It’s not a neighbourhood problem.

“We can’t get blamed for everything that happens in … that neighbourhood. Because inside the four walls that we’re working with, we’re doing a good job,” he added.

Arcand said neighbourhood “fearmongering” from some groups in the Fairhaven and Confederation Suburban Centre — areas he believed did not have accurate statistics or information — is not right.

“People are being dishonest and they have to be held accountable,” he said.

As for comments from Fairmont Baptist Church Pastor Robert Pearce, claiming the Saskatoon Police Service and Saskatoon Fire Department report does not accurately reflect residents’ experiences, Arcand had this to say: “Can we flip it around and look on how we’re helping people? Let’s focus on the good work that we’re doing, right?”

Arcand added he believes crime is not increasing in the Fairhaven and Confederation Suburban Centre areas because of the EWC.

“If you look at crime, it’s up all over our city — across the city. So it’s not just because (of) the shelter,” he said.

New agreement signed with the province

Arcand said a new $4.2-million agreement has been signed with the provincial government for the next 12 months, with beds at the EWC to remain at 106 for the time being.

“I’ll be working to increase that (funding) just because I think of the need,” he said.

Arcand also pointed to a petition signed by 1,000 people to keep the EWC open.