Saskatchewan has recently earned an unfortunate distinction among the other provinces. Statistics Canada’s most recent 2014 survey was recently released, indicating that youth in Saskatchewan have committed the highest number of crimes, excluding traffic crime, of all the provinces.
While the Canadian average for total crimes committed by youth aged 12 to 17, (excluding traffic related crimes) was 4,322 in 2014; Saskatchewan’s total was 13,084 during the same year.
Luckily, the Energy City is an exception to the rule. Estevan Police Chief Paul Ladouceur is certain Estevan’s youth are not part of that trend, asserting that the Energy City is certainly below the provincial average.
“When we look at some of those offenses, like for example, stolen vehicles, our number of stolen vehicles is so minute compared to other cities,” said Ladouceur. “We’re really not facing those same numbers, and when it comes to assaults, youth-related assaults, violence and things like that, I don’t think we’re nearly as high.”
Ladouceur said one mitigating factor that leads to Estevan’s lower youth crime numbers is the fact that it is a smaller community.
“I’m not saying it’s just Estevan. You’re seeing a lot of these statistics being driven by larger centres,” said Ladouceur. “I don’t think our numbers are in line with the rest of those numbers in the rest of the province.”
Ladouceur also said the lower-than-average youth crime rates in Estevan likely stem from the success of programs the EPS runs in the community.
“There’s a lot more of a personal touch when it comes to policing in a smaller centre,” he said. “There’s more involvement between the police and the local youth, which creates a unique relationship between them.”
As an example of the strong local relationship between police and youth Ladouceur referred to the School Resource Officer Program, whereby EPS officers educate youth on legal matters.
Another way by which the size of a community can lend itself to a lower youth crime rate, Ladouceur noted, was the fact that word travels quickly in smaller communities and, “everybody knows everybody’s business,” in a small community.
“This can be a good thing or a bad thing. It’s pretty difficult to get into trouble in a smaller centre, because of the fact that you’re going to get detected very quickly,” Ladouceur said. “People talk, rumors get out and it comes full-circle.”
