‘Learning about gangs’ event cancelled in Saskatoon over ‘threats of potential violence’

The Pleasant Hill Community Association has cancelled its Learning about Gangs event because of "threats of potential violence." (Pleasant Hill Community Association/Facebook)

The Pleasant Hill Community Association has cancelled an event because of “threats of potential violence.”

The “Learning About Gangs” was an information session scheduled for Jan. 22 at St. Mary’s School.

The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) was invited to provide information on gang recruitment.

The community association said the SPS’s Guns and Gangs Unit cancelled the event.

“There were threats of potential violence at the meeting. The cancellation happened only a couple hours before the event was supposed to start,” the Pleasant Hill Community Association announced in a Facebook post.

In a statement to CTV News, SPS said the presentation was “not intended for the broader public.”

“When we learned that the meeting would be open to the public, we had to withdraw our participation. The information shared in these sessions often includes investigative details that cannot be disclosed publicly,” the statement read.

The community association said its invited STR8 UP — an organization that offers support to those who have lived criminal lifestyles — for a future presentation.

“We have heard how important this topic is to our community,” the post said.