Saskatoon citizen hopes to create Citizens On Patrol group to help police

Days after information from Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) revealed officers weren’t able to respond to a man who died in the cold on New Year’s morning, there’s an effort underway to create a new citizen’s patrol group.

Kensington area resident Carla Peters called to alert police about a man not dressed for the elements sitting on her front porch just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 1. Police were not able to locate the man. Peters’ son called 911 just before 4 a.m., but police weren’t able to respond right away.

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The 49-year-old was found dead on a neighbour’s driveway just after 6 a.m., about four hours after the initial call was made. The coroner’s office is now investigating.

So far in 2025, there have been at least two other weather-related deaths in the city, including a 19-year-old woman and a 96-year-old man.

Saskatoon resident Brad Best is hoping to create a Citizens On Patrol (COP) group. The group could potentially check out calls about suspicious people calls, or drive by an area where a concerned citizen has alerted police.

Several other cities, including Regina, Moose Jaw, Lloydminster and the Battlefords have COP groups already established.

Other communities including Tisdale, Melfort and Shellbrook are also considering doing so.

Goal to make Saskatoon safer, help police

Best volunteered in The Battlefords for nearly two years, and has experience.

“I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact a citizens on patrol group can have … we were able to work directly alongside law enforcement, and what we did is we acted as an extra set of eyes and ears to help ease some of the pressure that our police forces are facing,” he said.

At its core, Best said the goal is to try and make Saskatoon safer, and to help police.

Doug Fehr, chairperson of Battlefords Citizens on Patrol and the Saskatchewan Citizens on Patrol Association, describes the groups of volunteers across the province as people who have an interest in crime prevention and deterrence.

There are about 120 COP groups across Canada.

Fehr said citizens can help assess suspicious situations or make police aware of crimes going on.

“All of our communities are seeing an increase in crime. I don’t think it’s a perception. I think it’s more of a reality… and it’s becoming increasingly complex with more and more mental health issues,” he said.

Volunteers always work in pairs or groups, generally wear specific uniforms, and may have a decal on their vehicle making the group members identifiable to the public.

At the start of a shift, they check in with police to help them look out for certain situations. Volunteers also don’t generally leave their vehicles, but rather report to police or 911 directly.

“The issues we look out for include potential break-ins, potential car thefts — a lot of it is focused on crime. But we also do look out for people in a vulnerable situation,” he explained.

That’s something also echoed by Best.

“It’s time to step up, and I believe this program is the best way of doing that,” he said, adding that Saskatoon’s alternative response officers, community support officers and outreach workers are doing great work as well.

“We are everyday citizens who are already invested in the neighbourhoods that we patrol,” he said.

Best also wants to emphasize that COP groups are not vigilantes, but work to complement police and receive specific training and criminal record checks.

Members can also perform home checks while residents are away, and establish property security camera registries to help in police investigations.

Best is hoping to recruit people who may be retired, hope to work in law enforcement or security in the future, or others who want to work within their communities.

So far, he said he’s having conversations with SPS and is trying to establish a list of potential volunteers. He hopes to have a group in at least a few neighbourhoods by the end of the year.

Read more:

• Huge increase seen in violent crimes committed by children in Saskatoon
• Pleasant Hill anti-gang meeting not intended for public, police say
• Saskatoon bus rider takes stand against violence, crime on transit