The coroner's inquest into the 2022 mass killings on James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan has wrapped up and resulted in 29 recommendations.The recommendations address photo databases and the emergency alert system, comprehensive community programming and supports for people leaving prison and reintegrating into the community, and more.Recommendations from the jurors were as follows:That the Correctional Services of Canada (CSC), when feasible, assign offenders a consistent individual to work with them, who can provide continuity as they progress through their time incarcerated and on conditional release; ideally an Elder, a cultural support person, a social worker or a community parole officer.That CSC hires more Elders in all federal correctional centres.That CSC increases the number and availability of programs within federal correctional centres, while reducing the caseload of the Elders involved.That CSC directs parole officers to increase their focused efforts to locate offenders through their contacts, within the first month of that offender being unlawfully at large.That CSC directs community parole officers to follow up on offenders’ access to medical care once they leave prison.That the federal Ministry of Public Safety establish a national alerting system, in consultation with law enforcement, on a platform where the public can sign up to receive broadcast-immediate alerts.That, within that national alerting system, the Ministry of Public Safety create a ‘dangerous person’ alert category.That, when the RCMP accesses a person’s photo through one of their tools or databases, the date the photo was taken be displayed prominently.That the RCMP provides more resources to specialized RCMP teams, such as its drug enforcement team.That James Smith Cree Nation (JSCN) evaluate the programs it currently offers in community, especially programs related to addictions and substance abuse, victim services, intimate partner violence, adverse childhood experiences, traditional parenting and parenting for children; and that the First Nation also make sure these programs are openly advertised to all its members.That JSCN install street signs, mandate that all houses are clearly numbered, and share updated mapping with emergency services.That JSCN and the local RCMP division continue to collaborate and attend community events with the intention of building positive relationships and trust.That JSCN provides further funding and training to its community security force.That JSCN leadership to follow through on the process of establishing a JSCN police force “in a prompt and timely manner.”Coroner Blaine Beaven made additional recommendations as follows:That the Melfort RCMP detachment commander and JSCN leadership hold quarterly meetings to establish and implement a public safety strategy for JSCN.That the RCMP “immediately adopt and implement best practices and technologies” to give patrol officers access to the most current photos of people, including accessing the SGI photo database if possible.That the commander of the RCMP F Division take “all reasonable measures” to fully staff the Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST), the crime reduction team and the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team, and consider further expanding all of these teams.That WEST provide a list and details of their 60 most wanted targets to all Saskatchewan RCMP detachments on a regular basis.That the WEST commander adjust the team’s prioritization matrix to add more weight to an offender’s history of domestic violence.That, when a ‘most wanted’ person is affiliated with or is a member of a First Nation, RCMP detachment commanders work with that First Nation’s leadership to advise them of that individual’s ‘wanted’ status.That, when JSCN leadership gets a warning about one of their members being on the ‘most wanted’ list, they canvas community members for information on their whereabouts and provide a timely response to the police service about what they’ve learned.That JSCN leadership promote to their citizens that the timely and accurate reporting of crime to the police is critical to public safety — and encourage members who may be uncomfortable or intimidated about reporting to use anonymous reporting tools like Crime Stoppers.That CSC require offenders with a history of domestic violence, when practical, to complete programming specifically about breaking the cycle of domestic violence prior to their release into the community.That, when an offender on conditional release becomes unlawfully at large and a warrant is issued, and that person has self-identified an affiliation to a First Nation, CSC warn that First Nation’s police service or the RCMP detachment that has jurisdiction over that area.That CSC make proactive efforts to engage with First Nations communities to recruit more Elders, and expand its Elder-supported programming.That CSC also work to fully staff its healthcare positions, including mental health and psychiatric services.That CSC develop and make available programming that will enable support person to provide a healthy and successful environment for offenders to be released into, and actively encourage that offender’s support people — such as immediate family and community members — to participate in these programs, when safe.A second inquest on the death of perpetrator Myles Sanderson in police custody will be held February 26 to March 1 at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre.
The coroner's inquest into the 2022 mass killings on James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan has wrapped up and resulted in 29 recommendations.The recommendations address photo databases and the emergency alert system, comprehensive community programming and supports for people leaving prison and reintegrating into the community, and more.Recommendations from the jurors were as follows:That the Correctional Services of Canada (CSC), when feasible, assign offenders a consistent individual to work with them, who can provide continuity as they progress through their time incarcerated and on conditional release; ideally an Elder, a cultural support person, a social worker or a community parole officer.That CSC hires more Elders in all federal correctional centres.That CSC increases the number and availability of programs within federal correctional centres, while reducing the caseload of the Elders involved.That CSC directs parole officers to increase their focused efforts to locate offenders through their contacts, within the first month of that offender being unlawfully at large.That CSC directs community parole officers to follow up on offenders’ access to medical care once they leave prison.That the federal Ministry of Public Safety establish a national alerting system, in consultation with law enforcement, on a platform where the public can sign up to receive broadcast-immediate alerts.That, within that national alerting system, the Ministry of Public Safety create a ‘dangerous person’ alert category.That, when the RCMP accesses a person’s photo through one of their tools or databases, the date the photo was taken be displayed prominently.That the RCMP provides more resources to specialized RCMP teams, such as its drug enforcement team.That James Smith Cree Nation (JSCN) evaluate the programs it currently offers in community, especially programs related to addictions and substance abuse, victim services, intimate partner violence, adverse childhood experiences, traditional parenting and parenting for children; and that the First Nation also make sure these programs are openly advertised to all its members.That JSCN install street signs, mandate that all houses are clearly numbered, and share updated mapping with emergency services.That JSCN and the local RCMP division continue to collaborate and attend community events with the intention of building positive relationships and trust.That JSCN provides further funding and training to its community security force.That JSCN leadership to follow through on the process of establishing a JSCN police force “in a prompt and timely manner.”Coroner Blaine Beaven made additional recommendations as follows:That the Melfort RCMP detachment commander and JSCN leadership hold quarterly meetings to establish and implement a public safety strategy for JSCN.That the RCMP “immediately adopt and implement best practices and technologies” to give patrol officers access to the most current photos of people, including accessing the SGI photo database if possible.That the commander of the RCMP F Division take “all reasonable measures” to fully staff the Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST), the crime reduction team and the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team, and consider further expanding all of these teams.That WEST provide a list and details of their 60 most wanted targets to all Saskatchewan RCMP detachments on a regular basis.That the WEST commander adjust the team’s prioritization matrix to add more weight to an offender’s history of domestic violence.That, when a ‘most wanted’ person is affiliated with or is a member of a First Nation, RCMP detachment commanders work with that First Nation’s leadership to advise them of that individual’s ‘wanted’ status.That, when JSCN leadership gets a warning about one of their members being on the ‘most wanted’ list, they canvas community members for information on their whereabouts and provide a timely response to the police service about what they’ve learned.That JSCN leadership promote to their citizens that the timely and accurate reporting of crime to the police is critical to public safety — and encourage members who may be uncomfortable or intimidated about reporting to use anonymous reporting tools like Crime Stoppers.That CSC require offenders with a history of domestic violence, when practical, to complete programming specifically about breaking the cycle of domestic violence prior to their release into the community.That, when an offender on conditional release becomes unlawfully at large and a warrant is issued, and that person has self-identified an affiliation to a First Nation, CSC warn that First Nation’s police service or the RCMP detachment that has jurisdiction over that area.That CSC make proactive efforts to engage with First Nations communities to recruit more Elders, and expand its Elder-supported programming.That CSC also work to fully staff its healthcare positions, including mental health and psychiatric services.That CSC develop and make available programming that will enable support person to provide a healthy and successful environment for offenders to be released into, and actively encourage that offender’s support people — such as immediate family and community members — to participate in these programs, when safe.A second inquest on the death of perpetrator Myles Sanderson in police custody will be held February 26 to March 1 at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre.
