In a report published Jan. 3, the Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes unit has reported a 50 per cent increase in the number of homicide victims in the province over the last five years. The charge of homicide includes first- and second-degree murder along with manslaughter.
Among the individuals charged with homicide, 44 per cent committed the offence while they were released on conditions, bail, parole, or probation.
“It goes without saying that a homicide is worst case scenario – but when an individual commits a homicide while on bail or release conditions, it is extremely discouraging and frustrating for our investigators,” said Officer in Charge of Major Crimes, Superintendent Joshua Graham in a statement.
“Our Major Crimes investigators continue to do an outstanding job, despite not receiving any additional investigative resources since 2008 – their dedication, resiliency, and undeniable expertise is what contributes to solving 84 per cent of the homicides since 2015.”
According to the Saskatchewan RCMP, the number of homicide victims between 2019 and 2023 are as follows:
- 2019: 20 victims of homicide
- 2020: 31 victims of homicide
- 2021: 33 victims of homicide
- 2022: 42 victims of homicide (including 11 victims from the mass killing on James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon, Sask.)
- 2023: 30 victims of homicide
Measures taken to monitor offenders
From January to December 2023, Saskatchewan RCMP officers conducted approximately 17,000 proactive conditions checks. These checks help ensure prolific offenders were following their court ordered conditions, which include abiding by curfews, not being in possession of weapons, having no contact with identified individuals, and not entering certain communities.
Violations of court ordered conditions
Between January and December 2023, Saskatchewan RCMP officers have identified more than 15,800 violated court ordered conditions in the province. These violations were discovered through the application of proactive conditions checks and other encounters with officers, including traffic stops and police responding to calls for service.
Many of these violations have resulted in charges for failure to comply with release order conditions, as stated under section 145(5)(a) of the Criminal Code.
Bill C-48
On Dec. 5, 2023, the Government of Canada’s proposed amendments to the bail provisions outlined in the Criminal Code received Royal Assent. These provisions have been modified in former Bill C-48 to promote public safety and reinforce public confidence in the administration of justice.
On Jan. 4, these reforms came into effect.
These amendments focus on changing the Criminal Code’s bail regime to address serious and repeat violent offenders who use weapons including firearms, knives, and bear spray. Modifications address elevated risks posed by intimate partner violence and changes seek to improve the safety of Canadian communities.
Changes made in the Criminal Code amendment include:
- Creating a new reverse onus for repeat violent offenders who use weapons. A reverse onus is a shift in the burden of proof from the prosecution to the accused, thereby causing the accused to be detained while awaiting trial unless they can demonstrate to the court that they should be released.
- Expanding the list of weapon offences that trigger a reverse onus.
- Broadening the reverse onus that targets repeat offenders of intimate partner violence.
- Clarification of the term “prohibition order” in an existing reverse onus for these offences, such that offenders bound by conditions in a release order cannot have firearms or other specified weapons in their possession.
- A requirement for courts to consider an accused individual’s history of convictions for violent acts when making a bail decision.
- A requirement for courts to state on the record with any bail decision that they have considered the safety of the community, thereby improving accountability to the public.
- A requirement for courts to state on the record with any bail decision how they have considered the particular circumstances of accused Indigenous and vulnerable over-represented populations. This is required by section 493.2 of the Criminal Code.
“I am hopeful the amended bail provisions are a step in the right direction – because at the end of the day, those individuals who are not interested in rehabilitation or changing their lifestyle will continue to do harm to others and should not be released back into our communities,” said Saskatchewan RCMP Commanding Officer Rhonda Blackmore in an official statement.
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