The Saskatoon Police Service saw a 31 per cent increase in the number of incidents requiring the use of force in 2017 compared to 2016. A police report to the Board of Police Commissioners indicates increased violent behaviour in 2016 and an increased presence of weapons on the streets, caused the trend to persist last year. 2017 showed a 29 percent increase in armed robberies and a 27 percent increase in weapon offences.

There were 180 vehicle pursuits which is up from 149 in 2016. In fact, in 2017, police pursuits accounted for about 40% of all Use of Force occurrences. The number of officers injured in Use of Force incidents also increased last year with 30 officers injured as compared to 14 in the year previous.

The tactical support unit is not included in Use of Force reporting. The Saskatoon Police Department says the prevalence of weapons, specifically guns, on the street, and the actual use of them has generated what is described as an “unprecedented” level of tactical deployments. Click on to the link here to view the latest reports, including Use of Force, presented to the Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday.