Sask. government says many James Smith inquest recommendations already in place, but funding needed for others

The Saskatchewan government says many of the recommendations made at an inquest into the stabbing massacre at James Smith Cree Nation (JSCN) are already in place or in the process of being enacted, but enforcement groups say more funding is needed.

"We're supportive of all the recommendations that were provided. Some of them are being implemented prior to this inquiry, some of them were actually in works prior to the incident," Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Paul Merriman told CBC News Friday.

James Smith resident Myles Sanderson killed 11 people — 10 in the community and one in the nearby village of Weldon, Sask. — on Sept. 4, 2022.

The almost-three-weeks-long inquest examining the massacre ended on Wednesday with a panel of six jurors providing their findings on how and when each person died and 14 recommendations to prevent similar deaths from happening again. Coroner Blaine Beaven, who oversaw the inquest, added another 15 recommendations.

The recommendations are directed to organizations like the RCMP and Correctional Service of Canada, and to James Smith Cree Nation itself. They include calls for more programming and resources for offenders, more collaboration between JSCN and police, changes to how RCMP deal with wanted suspects on the loose, and more resources to ensure people coming out of custody are able to reintegrate into society.

Merriman said the province started much of this work long before the incident at JSCN and Weldon, pointing to crime reduction teams meant to address specific areas of the province with elevated crime levels.

"We've added in some other programs like a warrant enforcement suppression team. This is coming specifically out of James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon. We had a team that was very focused on people that had outstanding warrants, especially violent offenders," he said.

"I think it comes down to the better collection and distribution of data that would help us in any situation bringing anybody in that is in breach."

Assistant commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, the commanding officer of the RCMP in Saskatchewan, said Thursday that the Mounties are committed to looking at the inquest recommendations, but that the police force needs appropriate funding and human resources to proactively stop tragedies like this one from happening. 

Merriman said that the funding formula for RCMP is set by the federal government on a 10-year rolling plan. He said there is about 10 per cent staffing vacancy in Saskatchewan, and an additional six to seven per cent of soft vacancies, with people on maternity or stress leaves.

He said the province needs to work with the federal government to recruit more officers.

"If there are more RCMP officers brought into Saskatchewan, we would fund them," he said.

"The province will not fund RCMP officers that are not in Saskatchewan or not active in Saskatchewan."

The National Police Federation (NPF), the largest police union in Canada representing roughly 20,000 RCMP officers, said it welcomes recommendations from the JSCN inquest, but wants investments to make them work.