A Saskatoon youth centre and the city’s police force are both getting some upgrades because of Saskatchewan’s Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund.
The fund, which includes forfeited cash and the proceeds from the sale of other forfeited assets, redirects the proceeds of crime – largely drug trafficking – back into Saskatchewan communities.
Read more:
- Saskatoon budget deliberations day two: What you need to know
- Saskatoon overdose alert updated after additional death, carfentanil detected
- Saskatoon man, 20, charged after allegedly trying to steal teen’s jacket at knifepoint
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice said the program has seen more than $10 million distributed to various communities around the province since it launched in 2009, and payments approved this fall add up to more than $1.6 million.
The ministry said the fund is providing $437,000 to support the Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatoon Downtown Youth Centre/EGADZ.
The police force received $300,000 for new video transmission equipment to be used in its air support unit. The ministry said the new technology will allow encrypted, live video to be transmitted from the air to other officers on the ground, improving communication and “real-time decision making.”
The force also received $86,000 from the fund to buy a biometric monitoring system, which monitors heart and respiratory rates of people in custody, sounding an alarm when an issue with vital signs is detected.
“These innovative investments ensure our members have the tools to make informed decisions in real time and to safeguard those in our care,” Cam McBride, the city’s police chief, said in a statement.
The Saskatoon Downtown Youth Centre, meanwhile, received $51,447 from the fund to buy a van for its day and school support program, “a community-based intervention program designed to assist youth in conflict with the law.”
The ministry said the vehicle will provide transport to programming, educational placement, community services and court appointments, supporting rehabilitation and community re-integration by creating a safer environment for youths.
“Providing safe and reliable transportation for our youth is critical to the success of our clients attending school, appointments in the community, and ensuring they are able to attend programming on a daily basis,” Don Meikle, the organization’s executive director, said in a statement.
“When youth are provided that extra support, their personal positive outcomes increase dramatically.”
In addition to the new funding for police and the youth centre, the ministry said an additional $386,000 has been provided to the Provincial Victims Fund to support victims of crime and help deliver community programming.









