Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride sat down with Your Morning Saskatchewan on Wednesday to discuss safety in the city, including an update on the Indigenous Peacekeepers Pilot Project. Halloween hooligans? “In years past, Halloween has been a night filled with vandalism and has proven to be a busy night for police. Is it still a night police circle on the calendar?” asked Your Morning Saskatchewan anchor Jeremy Dodge. McBride says while they did have 344 calls for service, compared to years past, the 2026 edition of Halloween was a welcome change for police. “We’ve seen a change in philosophy in the way people celebrate Halloween,” McBride answered. “More people are decorating and making it a festive occasion. There was a lot going on, but for the most part, nothing of grave concern.” Crime Stoppers data breach impact McBride also spoke about pausing Crime Stoppers following a recent data breach, and the impact the tip-sharing program being down is having on police. “We have lost some critical ability for the public to report tips in an anonymous fashion. We’re still receiving tips and information on crime, but we don’t have the capacity to ensure anonymity, which is Crimestoppers’ really big draw.” McBride adds he wants to ensure the public the police data system and storage does not communicate with and is not connected to Crimestoppers. More than 83,000 tips from Saskatchewan were reportedly found in the leaked data, including personal information and details submitted to Crime Stoppers. McBride says the suspension is temporary, and he hopes Crime Stoppers will be back online soon. Indigenous Peacekeepers Pilot Project update An Indigenous Peacekeepers Pilot Project was launched in the city in May. At the time, the city said the peacekeepers would not enforce bylaws but could report crime or suspicious activity. McBride says he’s pleased with the program as it nears the halfway mark. “My personal assessment is that it’s been going well. That’s what I’m hearing from our members as well, that these individuals on the streets do have a unique ability to connect with people in a way that we don’t in many cases. I always think of it in terms of an all-hands-on-deck approach. “All contributions are welcome, and they definitely are contributing out there, and we welcome that and appreciate it a lot.” At the end of the pilot program, the city will review data on a variety of factors, including changes in incidents reported to police.
