Saskatoon police to focus on drug, alcohol enforcement in downtown Saskatoon during blitz

People in Saskatoon's downtown can expect to see more police walking the streets over the next two weeks.

On Wednesday, members of the police's foot patrol will be out in force, ticketing and arresting people for alcohol, marijuana and illegal drug offences.

"There's going to not be a zero tolerance policy, but something along that line of a zero tolerance policy," said Staff Sgt. Andy Kiesman, the officer responsible for Central Division.

"Not just by law enforcement, but for provincial statutes like the cannabis legislation and the Alcohol Gaming Regulations Act."

Police said the crackdown comes out of concerns around downtown safety, especially by downtown business groups.

In August, eight business groups signed a letter to Saskatoon city council asking for more officers to patrol the downtown and Riversdale neighbourhoods.

"We want to focus on people that even live in other areas of Saskatoon, that frequent the downtown area to shop, to eat and to conduct business, that we want to ensure that we're making the effort," Kiesman said.

"We have heard what Saskatoon is saying about our downtown and thatwe understand that there is growing concern about safety downtown."

Kiesman was quick to point out the enforcement blitz had nothing to do with recent restrictions of new clients at The Lighthouse's emergency shelter program, due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the building.

"This is an issue that we have been planning for," he said.

"It's been part of a broader scope of Central Division's plans [for the area]."

The Staff Sgt. acknowledgedviolent crime statistics in the area have not increased, andthis was more of a perception issue.

"I don't think it's actually a matter that the downtown is deemed dangerous," he said.

"I would never say that that is the case, or the police service takes that stance whatsoever. I would say that, the business district program downtown has expressed some concern as to the overall feeling of safety and the overall feeling of maybe some of these statutes that are being broken downtown, that they want some of them addressed."

The increased police presence will be seen between Oct. 28-31 and Nov. 4-7.