Sarah Mills: Birthdays bring a sense of wistfulness and nostalgia
Sarah Mills says getting older isn't for the faint of heart, and turning a year older can make a person think about youn...
A group of rural reeves plans to meet with two Saskatchewan cabinet ministers in December after reports of repeated thefts and break-ins in the Rural Municipality of Shellbrook.
Shellbrook Reeve Christine Strube said some residents have been targeted more than once. What worries her most is that some break-ins have happened while people were home, she said.
Read more:
- Dog attacks spark animal rescue crisis in Northern Saskatchewan
- RCMP investigating suspicious death of 66-year-old man in Rose Valley
- Watchdog agency clears Mounties in fatal Deschambault Lake shooting
“They’re breaking into people’s homes while they’re sleeping. It’s not going to end well,” she said.
Strube said about a dozen members are involved in the informal group, which is scheduled to meet with Justice Minister Tim McLeod and Community Safety Minister Michael Weger.
Some residents have installed gates and cameras, but have still been targeted, Strube said.
“They’ve done everything that they can do, and they’re still getting hit,” she said.
“If you can imagine being that person being hit, and you love your home and you want to feel safe in your home, and you don’t get to sleep at night because tonight might be the night again.”
Break-ins are also a concern in the Prince Albert RCMP detachment area, where reported break-ins and thefts rose from August through October compared with the same period last year, even as overall property crime fell 10 per cent in the first 10 months of the year.
How quickly police can reach rural properties is another concern for Strube, who said a half-hour response would be a best-case scenario, in her view.
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities is calling for a rural and remote community safety action plan involving the province, Indigenous communities, municipalities and police services. It is also seeking more court capacity and measures to address repeat offending, addiction and organized property crime.
The federal Bail and Sentencing Reform Act took effect July 15. Under the changes, people charged for certain offences, including breaking and entering at a home, must show why they should be released on bail.
Strube said she welcomes the Saskatchewan Marshals Service’s role in addressing rural crime and the province’s efforts to expand addiction treatment, but said residents are still worried about what might happen during a break-in.
“I love what the province is doing as far as making more facilities and, you know, trying to staff more facilities to have openings,” Strube said. “But there’s a long way to go to solve this, and in the meantime, how do we protect ourselves?”
