Saskatoon police explain how they balance demands

The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) wants to raise awareness about the vast resources devoted to major incidents like homicides, which officers are responding to more than ever.

“We just want people to have a better look at the realities of responding to critical incidents in our city,” said Alyson Edwards, director of public relations and strategic communications with SPS.

A video released online shows real footage highlighting the initial response and subsequent investigation into a homicide from 2022. 

“We want to do what we can to raise awareness about the amount of resources that, we have found over the last many years, need to be dedicated in what’s called a front-end load response,” said Edwards.

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The video follows officers through body cam footage as the incident quickly evolves into a homicide investigation involving multiple crime scenes.

“When our officers are responding, the adrenaline level is very high,” said Edwards. “They rely on their training, and they receive excellent training for doing this, but they are very courageous in responding to these types of things where there are a lot of unknowns.”

Edwards says officers have the task of maintaining safety while also preserving possible crime scene evidence, all under high stress.

“They need to make sure that people are safe first of all,” she said. “We identify potential witnesses, certainly we identify a potential suspect, if possible. We identify those who are injured and, make sure they receive the help that they need, as quickly as possible, while at the same time trying to preserve a scene for evidence collection.”

Once the scene is secured, the process of gathering information and evidence takes over. Edwards says the accuracy and timeliness of that information in court could make the difference in bringing someone to justice.

“They’re very labour intensive, they’re very chaotic at times, they can be ever-changing and very fluid,” Edwards told CTV News. “It’s very necessary in this day and age that we make sure we’re utilizing all of the resources that we can.”

But with resources directed at major incidents like homicides, it means a growing backlog of other calls for service.

Edwards says it’s important for residents to understand why there may be a delay in response.

“Sometimes that means that we’re not going to get to your house for a report of a break and enter,” she said. “We may not be able to get to your house for a report of your vehicle stolen. We will take the report certainly, but it may not happen as quickly as possible.”

Edwards says it’s also important for residents to continue to report crimes, as it helps police assign resources for the best effect.