“Kids should be able to be kids. They shouldn’t be running around with guns. Something is wrong when stories like this become the norm,” said Nicole Sarauer, Saskatchewan NDP Justice, Corrections & Public Safety Shadow Minister.
The alleged robbery took place in the 4100 block of 5th Avenue in the early-morning hours Sunday. One accused is alleged to have pointed a handgun at an employee, while another threatened them with a knife.
“How did we get here?” Sarauer said. “These kids have only known the Sask. Party Government. A government that has failed over and over to get tough on crime and on the root causes of crime.”
The horrific incident occurred on the same weekend that a Weyburn woman was shot and killed on Highway 39.
The severe crime rate in Saskatchewan is double the national average.
Last week, a life sentence was handed down to a man who stabbed his partner — a woman from Okanese First Nation — to death in their own bed in September 2024. Their kids were home at the time. The victim’s sister read a statement in the court proceedings that including the following: “Daddy killed mommy. These are not words any child should know.”
“This is the reality in Saskatchewan right now,” Sarauer said. “We don’t have to settle for this. We can demand a government with a real plan for public safety, one that protects children, that gives people a hand when they need it and that is focused on building a future where every Saskatchewan person feels safe in their own homes and communities.”
Sarauer said more is needed immediately to:
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Provide additional support and proper programs to help at-risk youth.
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Go after gangs who recruit youth and prey on their vulnerability.
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Hire more police and ensure current officers have the resources they need.
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Get tough on drug dealers who are flooding Saskatchewan streets with harmful drugs that are killing people every day.
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Bring forward a real proposal on bail reform to stop the catch-and-release nature of our justice system due to overcrowding and inadequate resources.
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Ensure there are proper programs to rehabilitate offenders.
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Build more affordable housing and provide cost-of-living relief to people.
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