Addictions, mental health issues, gang activity and poverty continue to be significant causal factors to violent crime in Prince Albert, according to the city’s Police Chief.

In the wake of Tuesday’s death of a 28-year-old man, now being investigated as a homicide, Jonathan Bergen (pictured) says there have been six homicides in Prince Albert in 2020 involving eight deaths, including two children. Chief Bergen says P-A Police have made arrests in all but two of the homicide files from this year.

Through September 30th, statistics shows that Prince Albert Police have responded to 31-thousand calls for service, compared to just over 29-thousand in 2019. That includes 56 robberies and 56 files where firearms were used in an offence or produced. Thus far, the P-A force has seized more than 100 firearms in 2020. There has been a decrease in break and entry to residences, business and outbuildings thus far in 2020…360 compared to the 533 break and enters reported in 2019.

Bergen added that the Prince Albert Police Service has chosen members for a new select enforcement team that will focus on crime suppression and proactive enforcement in response to recent incidents in the city.