Rural crime, mental health support among resolution items for this year's SARM convention

Representatives from Saskatchewan's rural municipalities will be in Saskatoon for the next three days to share knowledge and discuss resolutions on mental health, addressing rural crime and many other topics.

Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) delegates are expected to hear from Premier Scott Moe, Opposition Leader Carla Beck and a host of ministers during the organization's annual convention, which begins Tuesday and runs until late Thursday morning, according to the agenda.

There are a few dozen resolutions slated to be discussed at the convention.

They include a resolution for SARM to lobby all levels of government to develop "red flag legislation to combat mental illness in youth" by allowing concerned people to apply to the court for intervention and treatment for youth in danger.

Another resolution calls for lobbying the provincial government for more conservation officers "to better serve our municipalities and protect the wildlife and environment," it said.

"We had 40 bags of garbage dumped in our road allowance last fall and while the officers attended within a few days, the investigation and clean up took a lot longer," part of the information provided with the resolution says.

There is also a resolution to lobby both the federal and provincial governments to hire more police officers to address rising crime rates in rural areas. One of the arguments made in that resolution is that people have long wait times for RCMP response and that landowners "do not have sufficient rights to protect themselves and their property."

"This is an ongoing issue, as it was discussed on the floor during this convention in 2003 and continues until today with no resolution. We need to pressure federal and provincial governments to change the laws and to make penalties stronger for these crimes," the resolution reads.

Following the stabbings at James Smith Cree Nation that ended with 11 dead and 18 wounded, critics noted the lengthy response time for RCMP to arrive on scene.

Another resolution on the docket calls for an end to SARM's midterm convention. If successful, this would consolidate the organization's two annual conventions into one single event. The resolution says this would cut back on costs and improve travel safety, specifically around the first winter storms in November.

Last year's SARM convention also focused on crime, alongside issues like fertilizer emission reductions.