A continued overdose epidemic, along with an increase in assaults and robberies are all issues Regina’s Deputy Police Chief says were realities in 2023.
Dean Rae sat down with CTV News’ Morgan Campbell for a year-end interview that will air on CTV Regina Dec. 29 at noon and 6 p.m.
Rae said crime numbers in the Queen City in 2023 were at a similar level seen in 2019.
“We went through COVID for a number of years and our crime stats dropped off and things changed in our community, we saw changes in drugs within our community, we saw changes in the levels of violence and as a result of that we have now, I guess, gone back to a new normal,” Rae said.
However, Rae said the notable change from 2019 is the increases in violent offences.
“We’ve seen increases in robberies, increases in level one, two and three assaults across the board for our community.”
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Rae said that most offenses occurred between people who knew each other and were not random, although random incidents did rise in 2023.
“But there’s still lots going on in our community and that is one of the biggest challenges, is to look at all the changes that have happened over the years, especially with the drug changes and the overdose epidemic that we are still gripped with at this time,” Rae said.
OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC
A new report from the Saskatchewan Coroners Service in November showed that 395 deaths associated with drug use had occurred in the province so far in 2023.
Regina saw 88 of those deaths, followed by Saskatoon with 47.
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Rae said that while police don’t respond to every possible overdose call, it’s still something that has an immense effect on officers.
“I can tell you this does wear on our members,” Rae said. “We talk about the mental health and well-being of our members and them dealing with the tragic circumstances around a death does wear on our members and their families because they take some of this home,” he added.
Rae said 2023 saw a continuation of the work Regina police have done to help officers through challenges they face from day-to-day duties.
CITY HALL TENT ENCAMPMENT
When Regina Fire and Protective Services (RFPS) ordered the decommissioning of a tent encampment in front of city hall following a death and two fires, Regina police were ultimately the ones tasked with moving all the camp’s patrons out of the area.
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At the time of the camp's decommissioning, Regina police said they made 11 arrests.
Police were responsible for shuffling the camp’s residents away from the public space with many claiming they had nowhere else to go.
“I think that’s where the partnerships within our community came into play,” Rae said. “We [Regina Police Service] are a part of the Community Safety and Well Being plan with the City of Regina so I’d say we work very well with not only fire and the City but other service providers like the Ministry of Health and social services as well.”
Rae said he felt the services’ good relationships with many at the encampment helped the situation – as officers worked hard to try and respect individuals while doing their best to ensure a safe and compliant process.
“I think we did a good job on that particular day, it was a challenging situation, there was a lot of media out there so many are aware of what we went through,” Rae said.
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Rae added he feels they did their due diligence and legal obligation to dismantle the encampment while also respecting the individuals who were there while also making sure they had support and places to go.
“So they weren’t just left out and alone and that’s what we always want to do,” Rae said.
The complete interview with Deputy Police Chief Dean Rae can be heard on CTV News Regina Dec. 29 at noon and 6 p.m.
