Saskatoon Police confirms record number of homicides for 2018

A decision earlier this year to charge alleged pushers of fatal fentanyl with manslaughter means Saskatoon has broken its record for the number of homicides in the city in one year. There were 13 in 2018, the police force said Friday.

Police force confirms there were 13 homicides in 2018

Guy Quenneville · CBC News · Posted: Jul 12, 2019 5:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 12, 2019

Police responded to an overdose call in the 3000 block of Arlington Avenue in March. Three men were later charged with manslaughter in connection to the death. (Dan Zakreski/CBC)

A decision earlier this year to charge alleged pushers of fatal fentanyl with manslaughter means Saskatoon has broken its record for the number of homicides in the city in one year.

The Saskatoon Police Service recorded nine homicides in 2018.

On top of that, in early 2019, three alleged drug dealers — Shervin Beeharry, Japmanjot Grewal and Azim Kabani — were charged with manslaughter — a first in Saskatchewan.

Drug overdose deaths counted

Saskatoon Police Chief Troy Cooper speaks at a recent press conference about a string of three recent homicides in the city. (Don Sommers/CBC)

The manslaughter charges stem from early 2018, when the Saskatoon Police Service responded to several drug overdoses that left four people dead.

On Friday, the police service confirmed they will classify those manslaughter cases as homicides.

"That brings the total number of homicides in 2018 to 13," the police said in a Facebook post Friday afternoon.

That's the highest-recorded number of Saskatoon homicides since 2000, after a previous record of 10 homicides was recorded in 2010 and 2016.

"These numbers do come with a bit of a caveat that as investigations progress, files can sometimes be re-coded," the service said in its Facebook post.

8 homicides in 2019 so far

CBC News had asked for clarification about the classification of the manslaughter charges earlier this week.

"The charges laid in the overdose deaths were a first in Saskatchewan so we aren't clear as to whether they are part of the reported number of homicides," a Saskatoon police spokesperson said at that time.

There have been eight homicides in the city in 2019 so far, plus one suspicious death that remains under investigation.

The last three homicides happened in the last two weeks, all within the Pleasant Hill area.

No 'trend or pattern' to 3 Pleasant Hill homicides in 1 week, Saskatoon police chief says

At a press conference last week, Police Chief Troy Cooper said there appeared to be no pattern to the trio of recent Pleasant Hill homicides, beyond their location.

Nevertheless, the police service has added more uniformed patrol officers to the area to make people feel safe.