Crystal meth, stolen autos defined crime in Saskatoon last year

Crystal meth and stolen autos paired up to define crime in Saskatoon in 2017.

Robin Wintermute is a detective sergeant with the Saskatoon Police Service and has seen the rise of the deadly amphetamine.

"It's both alarming and problematic — not only in Saskatoon, but in the province of Saskatchewan, to an epidemic proportion," he said.

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"Crystal methamphetamine has become the drug of choice. It's cheap, it's readily available, it's easily produced. You can go online and Google up 100 recipes."

Police said that paying for the illegal amphetamine drove everything from street crime to break-and-enters and stolen autos.

Because of the violence often associated with the drug, it wasn't unusual for police to use its tactical units when approaching a scene. 

Here is a look back at some other notable cases in 2017.

Rising trend in vehicle thefts

Police also continued to wrestle with the impact of stolen autos.

There were 1,269 autos reported stolen in 2016, a five-year high. And police said, anecdotally, that pattern continued last year.

Owners leaving vehicles unlocked, running or with keys in an obvious spot all made it easier for thieves. The stolen autos often ended up in accidents or abandoned and burned.

White powder scares

A woman accused of sending packages across the city containing a mysterious white powder will be in court this year to face her accusers.

Although the powder was ultimately determined to be not harmful, the false alarms tied up emergency services, inconvenienced the public and cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Marlene Bird dies

Marlene Bird, a homeless women in Prince Albert, survived a vicious attack in 2014 that left her with no legs and burns across her body.

Bird petitioned to the court to have her identity made public. Then, over the next three years, she became a fixture in court as she tracked her accused attacker through the system.

In September, Leslie Black was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Marlene Bird died in November.

Tanker flips

The issue of moving dangerous goods through the city re-emerged in October, when a tanker carrying anhydrous ammonia flipped on College Drive.

No one was injured and the tanks did not rupture. But it did get people talking again about how, when and where dangerous goods are moved through the city.