The Saskatoon Police Service is grappling with a revolving door of high-risk offenders, with one individual being arrested five separate times between April 2024 and November 2024, only to be released each time and fail to appear in court, according to a stark report from the city's Warrant Enforcement Unit.
A Cycle of Arrest and Release
Sergeant Tom Gretsy with the Saskatoon Police Service provided a troubling example to the board of police commissioners on November 20. He detailed the case of a person on their violent offender list who accumulated multiple weapon and gun-related charges. In one instance, this individual was arrested, released, and then re-arrested merely six days later after police responded to a call about a man attacking someone with a hammer.
"For every high risk offender in the community, the community is at risk," Gretsy stated, highlighting the core of the problem. This specific case is emblematic of the broader challenge facing the unit, which is currently tasked with tracking down approximately 2,100 wanted people in Saskatoon.
The Scale of the Warrant Problem
The Warrant Enforcement Unit, established in March 2024 based on recommendations from the inquest into the James Smith Cree Nation stabbings, comprises five senior officers. Despite their efforts, the backlog of warrants remains immense.
Gretsy reported that out of the 2,100 active warrants in Saskatoon, about 1,000 are related to violent offences or individuals with a history of violent offences. While some have been arrested or are under investigation, the unit still faces about 2,000 outstanding Criminal Code warrants, a number that fluctuates constantly.
"We haven't put a big dent in it, we've gone from 2,100 to 2,000... it just regenerates too fast," Gretsy told the board. He revealed that, on average, Saskatoon police see 400 to 450 new warrants issued each month. "Sometimes as fast as we arrest and execute these warrants they come back up," he added, noting that some individuals on the violent offenders list have already been re-arrested for a third time.
Systemic Challenges and Federal Reform
The unit's report, submitted to the board of police commissioners, quantified their work since March: 2,168 offenders actively investigated, 354 warrants executed, and 257 arrests made. The team collaborates with other police services in Prince Albert, Regina, Calgary, and Edmonton to track down wanted individuals.
Police Chief Cam McBride pointed to the need for systemic change, stating that while the federal government has been working on bail reform, more work is urgently needed. Gretsy's example of the repeatedly arrested individual underscores the frustration law enforcement feels towards the current justice system, where immediate release often leads to immediate re-offending, leaving the Warrant Enforcement Unit in a perpetual cycle of rearresting the same suspects.
