Prince Albert police are dealing with the city's deadliest year in more than a decade as they investigate five homicides, the most since 2003.

A high-visibility police unit has been established in response, aimed at engaging the community and reducing crime.

"Any level of violence in our community is concerning and I want to tell the public that, as a police service, we are working hard to combat crime and arrest those responsible," Jon Bergen, chief of the Prince Albert Police Service, said in a news release.

There were five homicides in the city through the first eight months of the year, while there were two homicides recorded in all of 2018.

The most recent homicide recorded in Prince Albert happened Aug. 28, when police responded to a stabbing.

A 19-year-old man died from his injuries in hospital and another man was charged with second-degree murder.

The police service will now have officers on foot and bike patrol in the areas of the downtown core, Cornerstone Shopping district and the South Hill shopping district, in addition to spending some time on the Rotary Trail.

Police say they had 27 incidents involving guns, including eight times when the guns were fired. Police say the uptick in crime also extends to other weapons, as they responded to 44 incidents involving a knife.

Gangs are responsible for some of the activity. Most of the incidents are not believed to be random, but between people known to each other.

The new unit will begin patrols later this month.