Sask. RCMP major crimes investigators see 50 per cent jump in homicides since 2019

The massacre on the James Smith Cree Nation that left 11 dead in 2022 is an outlier in terms of the number of victims, but is entirely in keeping with the way violent crime is trending in Saskatchewan, according to the commanding officer of the RCMP in Saskatchewan. 

And that trend is up, Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore says.

"James Smith was certainly larger in the number of victims we saw during that one incident or, you know, the number of incidents that made-up that mass casualty incident, [but] it certainly is indicative of some of the trends that we are seeing throughout the province," Blackmore said in an interview Wednesday.

Investigators tracked 20 homicides in 2019. That number more than doubled in 2022 largely because of the massacre, before slipping back to 30 violent deaths in 2023. Nevertheless, the 2023 total represents a 50 per cent increase from 2019.

Blackmore says gangs are driving much of the violence. Drugs, family disfunction and weapons are also common elements.

"The pandemic sort of created a bit of a perfect storm, shall we call it,"  she said. "When it came to recruiting into gangs, people were looking for that sense of belonging where they want to be part of something.

"Unfortunately, the gangs benefited from that attitude … and so we've seen some of those increases and, you know, we know that those gangs have a a disregard for safety — for public safety and, ultimately, for human life and that is driving some of these numbers."

The numbers reflect how the province leads the country in intimate partner and in-home violence, Blackmore says.

Over the past five years, 11 per cent of victims were slain by a spouse or intimate partner. Another 21 per cent were killed by a family member.

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Myles Sanderson had a well-documented history of drug use, violence and attacks on family members before he went on his 2022 rampage.

Blackmore says changes in how the courts treat bail applications by accused individuals could help slow the rise.

"Individuals who have a history of intimate partner violence having to prove why they should be released is a step forward," she said.

Blackmore urged the province to continue with programs that address the causes of crime to keep people out of jail in the first place.