Pleasant Hill anti-gang meeting not intended for public, police say

A meeting to address concerns about gang activity and recruitment was abruptly cancelled last Wednesday and Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) says it’s because information intended for the meeting was not meant to be shared publicly.

Last week a notice was sent out by the Pleasant Hill Community Association to residents providing an opportunity to join a discussion about gang involvement with the Saskatoon police.

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A social media post from the association on Sunday then said the meeting was cancelled a couple hours before the event because “there were threats of potential violence at the meeting.”

SPS said it is not aware of any threats of potential violence related to the meeting.

According to police, a request was made several months ago for the SPS Guns and Gangs Unit to speak with members of the Pleasant Hill Community Association.

“Our Guns and Gangs Unit regularly engages with various partners and service agencies on these topics, however, the content of these discussions is not intended for the broader public,” a statement from police said.

“When we learned that the meeting would be open to the public, we had to withdraw our participation. The information shared in these sessions often includes investigative details that cannot be disclosed publicly.”

The statement said the police service remains in communication with the community association and work is being done to reschedule for a later date.

650 CKOM has requested comment from the community association regarding the meeting’s cancellation, but had not received a reply at the time of publication.

The Pleasant Hill Community Association’s post said suggestions were made to involve STR8 UP in such conversations, and the organization was invited to last week’s meeting.

STR8 UP provides outreach services and support to individuals involved in criminal street lifestyles.

“The intention with the first presentation on gangs by SPS was to start a dialogue, and allow people in the community, especially parents and those working with youth, to gain information about gangs in Pleasant Hill,” the social media post said.

Saskatoon Police Service crime map for the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood in the month leading up to Jan. 27, 2025. Reported crimes included nine assaults, eight thefts, and 17 that police list as ‘other Provincial statute’ violations. (Saskatoon Police Service)

Gang recruitment in Pleasant Hill ‘a problem’

In a previous interview, Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride said the police service believes engaging with community associations is important, and that gang recruitment in areas like Pleasant Hill is a problem.

“Our Guns and Gangs Unit is actively pursuing complaints. Actively pursuing investigations into gang activity of that nature,” he said.

Crimes by Saskatoon youth have seen a staggering increase in the last five years, especially where the offences involve violence, SPS told 650 CKOM in December.

McBride said at the time that that statistics were concerning “because it tells me that young people are demonstrating a greater propensity to utilize violence”.

“I’m worried about the lack of support, or the lack of, you know, a sense of belonging in a safe and supported space. And so they’re looking for it elsewhere, looking for it in the wrong crowds of people.”

Saskatoon’s 15th homicide of 2024 happened in Pleasant Hill on Dec. 18.

In that case, the Guns and Gangs unit was involved in executing a search warrant at the home when they found the body of 30-year-old Timothy Tootoosis.

Three men and one woman were taken into custody for questioning but were later released without charges. There have been no arrests.

The victim’s mother told 650 CKOM that Tootoosis started drinking when when he lost his grandfather to lung cancer in 2018.

“What started off as a way to medicate his grief snowballed from there into addictions,” she said, adding his drinking became chronic and led to friendships with those who had “questionable lifestyles.”

“Life certainly happened to my child,” she said. “And what happened was he went to a party and he never left.”

— with files from 650 CKOM’s Lara Fominoff and Céline Grimard

Read more:

• ‘Significant concern’: Saskatoon police create new Intimate Partner Violence team
• Highway 41 SUV crash leaves three dead, one in hospital: Melfort RCMP
• Former Macklin firefighter pleads guilty in hay bale arson case