YORKTON – Yorkton RCMP are closing the year with a mix of concern and optimism as the detachment looks back at policing trends across the region.
Acting Detachment Commander Staff Sgt. Geoff Stringfellow said officers have worked through a year that brought stable call volumes but concerning increases in key crime categories.
"We have seen a slight decrease in overall crime and overall calls for service," Stringfellow said. "However, we have seen an increase, a significant increase over the past five-year trend with a 17 per cent increase in persons offences and about an 18 per cent increase in property offences."
He says that aligns with what RCMP are reporting across Saskatchewan.
While calls for service have not surged, Stringfellow says the detachment cannot ignore the trends.
"For the whole year, property offences have gone up in Yorkton and persons offences, such as assaults, have kind of remained at a level similar to the previous year," he said.
The numbers, he says, don't necessarily signal a decline in safety but reflect the pressures facing communities province-wide. He points to several factors that contribute to crime patterns that police alone cannot solve.
"You see the addictions, mental health challenges in today's society, gang involvement in the area," he said. "Those are all factors that lead to the increase in crime in the area. It's not something we're going to be able to police our way out only."
Stringfellow says the detachment relies heavily on partnerships with local agencies to manage those pressures, adding that collaboration will remain a major focus in the coming year.
Yorkton's role as a hub for surrounding communities creates added challenges.
The region draws in residents from dozens of smaller towns, as well as travellers passing between eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba.
While that benefits the local economy, it also means RCMP regularly handle files involving people who live outside the immediate detachment area.
Stringfellow says the difference between Yorkton and larger centres is not the severity of challenges but the availability of local supports.
"The community does well to support us," he said. "Our biggest difference between those larger centres is just the availability of resources immediately and locally. The amount of time it takes us to deal with those types of calls would be a lot different in comparison to larger communities."
Those resource limitations also surface in mental-health-related calls, where police are often first on scene despite not always being the right fit.
"We're trained with mental health, but we're not mental health professionals," he said.
Yorkton RCMP can access mental-health workers when available, along with nurses stationed in the RCMP dispatch centre who provide assistance in real time. Stringfellow says that support has been "incredibly important."
Despite the pressures, Stringfellow says officers made strong strides in community outreach in 2025, an area the detachment had hoped to continue growing.
"Our officers have done a great job this year."
He highlighted May's bike safety week, during which officers worked with more than 250 Grade 3 students across area schools. Each student received a bike helmet and officers spent time teaching road safety and building relationships.
"One of the goals is to have people recognize a face," he said. "If you have positive experiences throughout your life and see the police, you're much more likely to engage with the police as opposed to seeing them as a negative approach."
Yorkton RCMP also hosted a community golf tournament at Deer Park, returned to events such as McHappy Day, and participated in a toy drive at the local Walmart.
Stringfellow says those moments matter, especially at a time when trust in policing has been strained nationwide.
"It's invaluable," he said. "If you see police as a negative aspect of your life, you're much less likely to involve them in times when you need them."
One of the major changes inside the detachment this year was the rollout of body-worn cameras, a national initiative that reached Saskatchewan RCMP detachments throughout 2025.
"All of our officers have them already and have been wearing them for several months," Stringfellow said. "I've found that to be an incredible value."
He says the cameras provide clarity, improve evidence collection and help "tell the true story of what happened.
A short adjustment period was expected, he said, but compliance is now where it needs to be, adding that officers themselves appreciate the protection and transparency the cameras provide.
Stringfellow says Yorkton, like much of Saskatchewan, is dealing with the impacts of increasing drug availability.
The Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team operates in the region and worked several major files this year.
On June 16, the team seized more than 1,100 grams of cocaine and $75,000 in cash after a traffic stop and two search warrants in Yorkton. Four people were charged.
"Having the special enforcement team is a benefit to the community."
He acknowledged that drugs continue to flow into the region, but said the detachment works closely with the specialised unit to target the supply.
Traffic safety was also a major challenge this year, with higher fatal collision numbers both locally and across the province.
"This year was a particularly bad year for fatal accidents," Stringfellow said. "Some of that is an increase in people, an increase in vehicles in the community."
Vacancies remain a challenge across RCMP divisions, including Yorkton, but Stringfellow says staffing levels have improved in recent months.
Recruiting will continue to be a national priority, he said, especially as RCMP look to represent better the communities they serve.
Despite increases in some crime categories and ongoing staffing pressures, Stringfellow says Yorkton RCMP are in a stable position entering the new year.
"We're in a great spot right now as far as providing the mandate, the core policing to the city of Yorkton and the surrounding area."
Overall, Stringfellow says Yorkton remains a safe place to live, work and raise a family — thanks in large part to the work of frontline officers and community partners.
"I'm very confident that the work that the officers here in Yorkton are doing is incredibly valuable to the community," he said. "We look to increase that relationship with our community moving forward. Every year, that's the goal."
