Following a surge in violent crime in Prince Albert this past weekend help is on the way.
The RCMP, the Saskatoon police Service, and the Regina Police Service will be offering support to the city through the province’s Crime Reduction Team.
The team is made available through provincial funding and allows law enforcement to be deployed to any region in the province experiencing a surge of criminal activity.
Prince Albert police reported two homicides in the city this past weekend along with several other violent incidents prompting the deployment of the CRT.
All the agencies will now coordinate efforts to address these recent incidents and other illegal activity.
In a media release on the CRT deployment, Police chief Jonathan Bergen thanked the province and the other agencies for their support.
“This is a difficult time for our community,” Chief Bergen said in the release. “The resource challenges we are experiencing and the rise in violent crime we are seeing has impacted the safety and security of residents and families.”
The CRT model is made up of nine teams across the province and includes members from both municipal police services and the RCMP.