Sask. announces funds to fight addiction, gangs
REGINA The Government of Saskatchewan says it plans to put money down to fight guns, drugs and gangs — the three culprits long driving up crime in the province.
Spending estimates for 202021 earmark $1.7 million to the Gang-violence Reduction Strategy and will look to add 20 new beds to a crystal meth in-patient treatment service in Estevan.
In 2019, Saskatoon saw a record 16 homicides while Regina in 2020 has already recorded five. In both cities, police chiefs attribute a steady flow of methamphetamine and gang violence to the surge in violence.
Erica Beaudin, executive director Regina Treaty Status Indian Services Inc. (RTSIS), said when she heard the announcement she was hopeful there would more resources for her organization.
“It’s actually not new money. That’s just the regular flow through money from the feds to the province,” said Beaudin.
In December 2019, the province allocated $4.5 million to Str8 Up and RTSIS over a four-year period to provide a community model, offering outreach, intervention and prevention services to help people leave gangs and reintegrate back into their communities.
Beaudin said more money could have helped already burdened organizations with more than 200 active clients.
The money for that program came from the federal government in March. The feds allocated $11.9 million as part of the national Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence.
In a release, the province said there would be a “$1.7 million increase
in expense for the Gang Violence Reduction Strategy to help address gun and gang activity in the province.”
Noel Busse, spokesperson with the ministry of justice, said the province would be spending approximately $3 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year.
“You have to understand that the Gang Violence Reduction Strategy isn’t just RTSIS and STR8 UP,” said Busse.
Stan Tu’inukuafe, president of STR8 UP in Saskatoon, said his organization works with 57 high-risk offenders involved in gang life. He said the additional funds came as a surprise but said there was confusion over where it was going.
“Obviously we believe there’s more than 57 people that could use that level of support. If it was additional money that would be great because it means we could increase the number of people we work with,” he said.
According to Busse the budget for the program was initially pegged at $1.3 million for the coming year, but Wednesday’s announcement brought in an additional $1.7 million making the annual budget $3 million — including the budget for RTSIS and STR8 UP.
He said the additional money will go toward a number of other programs including improved intelligence sharing between police services and enhanced addictions programming in provincial correctional facilities.
Outside of correction centres the province was also looking at ways to combat the ongoing issues related to meth addiction in Saskatchewan.
In Estevan, the 20 beds come as a sigh of relief for Greg Hoffart, executive director for St. Joseph’s Hospital. Hoffart said the $1.4 million from the province means bringing back an addiction treatment centre that closed some 24 years ago.
“Reopening our addictions centre has been something on our radar or wish list for many years,” Hoffart said. “We had a successful addictions centre so it’s long been our desire to reopen.”
He said he hopes the centre can offer assistance across the province.