SaskatchewanThe Meadow Lake Tribal Council says a lack of police presence in northern Saskatchewan is fostering gang activity. The council is calling on the provincial and federal governments to step up and provide more supports.Leaders call for improved policing in First Nations communitiesHalyna Mihalik · CBC News · Posted: Nov 13, 2025 6:27 PM EST | Last Updated: 8 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Meadow Lake Tribal Council members say they’d like their own police force one day and want the RCMP to step up in the meantime (Halyna Mihalik/CBC)Leaders from the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) say they need urgent support to improve public safety in their communities.MLTC represents nine First Nations in northern Saskatchewan. Representatives spoke at a news conference in Saskatoon on Wednesday, asking for help from the provincial and federal governments to improve police presence.“We have 2,000 people and there’s not a police force there,” MLTC Cree Vice Chief Richard Durocher said at the event. “Ask yourself, why is that?”Chiefs said violence is steadily on the rise, and that an increase of gang activity has upped the number of addictions and overdoses in Indigenous communities.They also made note of the housing crisis plaguing remote areas up north, with up to 12 people squeezed into one home to make ends meet.“In our community, with up to 10, 12 people in a home, where does that young person go when he or she gets in an argument with their parents?” Durocher asked.“He or she has to leave the home, and guess who’s waiting outside? Addictions. Gangs.”Métis Nation-Saskatchewan declares state of emergency due to crisis of addiction, violenceHow northern Sask. communities plagued by high crime rates are trying to stifle the violenceTribal council members said they want their own Indigenous-led police force one day, but that an initiative like that isn’t currently possible.Instead, they want the RCMP currently assigned to northern communities to improve response times.“You have to wait over an hour for a police officer to get to your community,” Durocher said. “[That’s] unheard of in the city.”WATCH | Meadow Lake Tribal Council calls on province to improve public safety :Meadow Lake Tribal Council calls on province to help improve public safetyLeaders from the Meadow Lake Tribal Council in northern Saskatchewan are asking the provincial government to take immediate action to improve public safety. Chiefs say communities have seen a rise in gang activity, addictions and overdoses.In a statement to CBC, Saskatchewan RCMP said multiple factors influence response times, including how expansive the north is, weather conditions and the volume of calls they receive.“We do not want to see any more overdose deaths in the communities we serve, and do what we are able to in order to prevent them, while acknowledging that the RCMP and police in general are only one part of the solution,” RCMP wrote.MLTC members said the solution is for the province to supply more police support up north immediately.Chiefs called for more federal police funding and said they want to talk with the province about how the recently-established Marshalls Service could help.“We want to fix a problem and we’re asking that the government, RCMP, we come together and find a solution, a solution for a safer community,” MLTC Chief Jeremy Norman said.In a statement to CBC, the province pointed to its partnership with the federal government to add community safety officers in three MLTC communities. The statement said the initiative is already showing promising results.ABOUT THE AUTHORHalyna Mihalik is a journalist and weather specialist for CBC Saskatchewan. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Regina. Halyna enjoys stories about advocacy, local politics and rural communities. Send Halyna news tips at halyna.mihalik@cbc.ca
Meadow Lake Tribal Council urges province to improve public safety up north
