 |
|
|
Major Crime Section
The Major Crime Section is led by a Staff Sergeant in charge of the over all operation of the Major Crime Section. Police personnel include six homicide investigators, two historical case investigators (one is the designated Missing Person Task Force), two violent crime investigators, and two ViCLAS/ High Risk Offender members.
The Homicide members investigate homicides, attempted homicides, aggravated assaults and suspicious deaths, all deaths occurring in police custody, in police lock-up and in any correctional facility, and all police officer shootings, whether death occurs or not. They are also responsible for any investigation not specified but requiring major crime investigators.
| Suspicious deaths and homicides investigated by Major Crime |
||
| 2000 | (5 homicides) | 5 charges laid |
| 2001 | (1 homicide) | 1 charge laid |
| 2002 | (7 homicides) | 5 charges laid, 2 under investigation |
| 2003 | (8 homicides) | 8 charges laid |
| 2004 | (9 homicides plus 2 police shootings) |
5 charges, 1 self defense, 1 death of suspect, 2 under investigation. |
| 2005 | (9 homicides) | 8 charges laid, 1 under investigation |
| 2006 | (9 homicides) | 4 charges laid, 5 under investigation |
| 2007 | (7 homicides) | 5 charges laid, 2 under investigation (2 police shootings with I death) |
| 2008 | (2 homicides) | 2 charges laid, 1 murder charge laid regarding the 2004 homicide involving missing person Daleen Bosse |
| 2009 | (6 homicides) | 4 charges laid, 2 homicides under investigation |
Historical Case Unit
The Historical Case Unit investigates homicide and suspicious death files where all avenues of investigation have been exhausted by the initially assigned investigators. With the development of DNA testing, the potential of solving previously unsolved cases now exists.
Members maintain files on long term missing persons as well as assist the Homicide Unit with current investigations. One of the investigators is designated the missing person coordinator which is a provincially funded position. Investigators liaise with other Historical Case Units throughout Canada and meet with investigators from across Saskatchewan quarterly to compare and share information. (RCMP-Municipal Police Services). Currently the Cold Case Unit is investigating and ten Historical missing person files.
Violent Crime Unit
The Violent Crime Unit investigates assaults where extreme violence is used.
Home invasions, kidnapping and life threatening assaults are also investigated by this Unit.
| Major Crime | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 25 | 15 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 32 |
| Home Invasions | 15 | 29 | 29 | 48 | 11 | 24 |
ViCLAS
After investigations of persons such as Clifford Olsen and Paul Bernardo, it was obvious that cross jurisdictional issues were present amongst Police Agencies. As a result, in the early 1990s, the RCMP developed the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System or ViCLAS. It is a Canada-wide computer system that assists specially trained investigators to identify serial crimes and criminals by focusing on linkages that exist among crimes by the same offender. All police services in Canada contribute to ViCLAS by submitting information about the violent crime investigations undertaken in their jurisdictions. Information is submitted on homicides, sexual assaults, attempted murders, abductions, missing people and unidentified bodies where foul play is suspected in the death.
It is the responsibility of the ViCLAS Coordinator to ensure ViCLAS booklets are submitted and completed properly on all specified cases. The completed booklets are then forwarded to the Violent Crime Analysis Section in Regina. The Unit also reviews warrant expiry packages on high risk offenders and determines what conditions, if any, should be placed on these people being released from Correctional facilities into our community. The Coordinator then monitors these offenders to ensure conditions of release are being adhered to.
ViCLAS is responsible for compiling public disclosure Information on released offenders that the police feel pose a threat to the citizens of Saskatoon. By publicly disclosing the identity of the offender, appropriate precautions can be taken by the public to protect themselves and their family.
The ViCLAS/HRO Unit also monitors 176 sex offenders who are registered in Saskatoon under the Sex Offender Registry. After ensuring they are registered, twice a year their residences are checked to insure they are actually living in the residences they have indicated. The coordinator on average monitors twelve high risk offenders to insure they are following conditions of their release. Presently 15 High Risk Offenders are being monitored. Approximately 382 ViCLAS submissions are under review per year and are forwarded to Regina.