The La Ronge RCMP detachment. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

intelligence

La Ronge RCMP crime reduction team reports success

Aug 27, 2024 | 4:04 PM

The RCMP’s new crime reduction team (CRT) in La Ronge is witnessing success in the program.

That’s according to Sgt. Jonathan Cormier, who currently leads the intelligence-based unit. The team has been active in La Ronge since 2023 and are deployed to assist in communities where there has been a spike in any kind of crime.

“Right now, in La Ronge, we do have gang initiatives because we do have a spike with gang activities,” he said.

The CRT is tasked with trying to enhance community safety, as well as suppress the activities of criminal groups that threaten community safety. The team also conducts targeted enforcement-based intelligence and analysis of crime trends in specific communities.

The CRT differs from the RCMP’s General Investigations Section (GIS), which operates under the Major Crimes Branch.

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“They investigate files like complex sex assaults, attempted murders, serious assaults. They assist also with serious files as well,” Cormier explained.

“Our operations are more intelligence based as opposed to a GIS, which is more reactive based. If there is a serious incident that has happened, they will investigate it as opposed to us. We will try to prevent through intelligence based through a targeted approach.”

The three northern CRTs are La Ronge, Meadow Lake and North Battleford. Since December, those teams collectively have arrested 365 people, laid approximately 533 charges, seized about 98 firearms and taken more than 10 kilograms of drugs off the streets.

The provincial government announced the expansion of CRTs into La Ronge and Meadow Lake in 2021. They pledged $1.5 million in 2021-22 and approximately $3.2 million in each subsequent fiscal year.

The establishment of CRTs in La Ronge and Meadow Lake adds a total of 20 permanent positions, including 16 RCMP officers, two criminal analysts and two administrative assistants.

Cormier mentioned if the public has any information of crime in any northern communities, they should reach out through Crime Stoppers or their stakeholders.

“Their stakeholders will give us information as well if there is a surge in any criminal activities, whether it be gang activity and so on,” he said.

“Any information is good information that we can kind of go with. Not to just La Ronge, but any communities in the North.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com