Rural residents amplify call to defend property

REGINA An impassioned plea for more relaxed property defence laws was made by a rural resident at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities mid-term convention Wednesday.

Worried about slow police response times if he and his family were approached by “hoodlums”, the man called on Curtis Zablocki, assistant commissioner of the RCMP’s F Division in Saskatchewan, to declare his support.

“Would you support a stand your ground law as is enforced in the state of Montana?” asked the man. His question was followed by applause from fellow attendees.

The Montana law states a person is justified to use force or threaten to use force against another if they reasonably believe it is necessary for self defence. It also states that a person is justified in using force likely to cause death or serious harm only if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm to the person.

While he understands the man’s concerns, Zablocki raised the potential for violence if firearms are used. Instead, he said the best way to deal with a situation like that is to call 911, and secure yourself and your family as best as possible until help arrives.