The Canora-Pelly MLA will be among the seven MLAs looking at the influx of rural Saskatchewan crime and possibilities to prevent it.
Premier Brad Wall announced on November 29 that he was creating a new committee of government MLAs focused on reducing crime rates in Saskatchewan, according to a release from the Saskatchewan Party.
The Caucus Committee on Crime Reduction is to be chaired by Herb Cox, the Battlefords MLA, and includes Terry Dennis, the Canora-Pelly MLA, as a member. Other members are Jennifer Campeau, the Saskatoon Fairview MLA and vice-chair of the committee; Lori Carr, Estevan MLA; Mark Docherty, Coronation Park MLA; Larry Doke, Cut Knife-Turtleford MLA, and Doug Steele, Cypress Hills MLA.
“One of the main concerns I hear as I travel around Saskatchewan is crime,” Wall said.
“I have asked this new committee to focus on causes and make recommendations on what the province and our partners, like municipalities and police forces, can do to reduce crime.”
The committee is to consult with municipalities, police agencies and other organizations to determine major issues and what can be done to better address them. Current areas of concern include rising property crime rates in rural areas, police presence in rural areas and an increase in guns, gang activity and dangerous drugs such as fentanyl in urban centres.
The committee will make recommendations to the minister of justice as well as the cabinet and government caucus.
“Saskatchewan must be a safe place where people feel protected from crime,” Wall said. “I look forward to receiving and acting on the committee’s recommendations.”
