By TERRY PUGH
Police officers in Warman will now have the authority to seize weapons, including knives with blades 10 centimeters (four inches) in length or longer, hypodermic needles, bear spray and drugs, in parks, playgrounds and other public spaces.
Warman City Council voted unanimously at its meeting on Monday, October 27 to give all three readings to Bylaw 2025-17, the Safe Public Spaces Bylaw.
The bylaw prohibits persons from possessing ‘street weapons’ in public urban spaces. Violators can be charged with a provincial offence and subject to a fine of not more than $5,000, a maximum one-year imprisonment sentence, or both.
Last August the provincial Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act, came into effect, and municipalities were given the option of opting into coverage under the legislation. The City of Warman chose to opt in, which necessitated the introduction of the bylaw.
The provincial legislation promotes safety in public urban spaces by regulating the possession, transportation and storage of items that may be used as street weapons. It prohibits the possession of weapons, and also allows police officers to seize and impound street weapons from a person in a public urban space if the weapon constitutes a threat to public safety. The power of seizure exists regardless of whether or not the person is charged with an offence under the act.
A city administration background report to the October 27 city council meeting noted that consultations regarding the provincial act and the proposed bylaw were held earlier this year with Staff Sergeant Jason Teniuk of the Warman RCMP detachment.
Teniuk “advised that opting in would provide the RCMP with an additional enforcement mechanism,” stated the report. “Under the current provisions of the Criminal Code, the RCMP may only seize a weapon if it is being used in the commission of an offence. For example, if an individual threatens another person with a knife, the RCMP would have the authority to seize that weapon. However, if an individual is apprehended for shoplifting and merely has a knife in their possession, the RCMP would not have the authority to seize that knife.”
The RCMP Staff Sergeant further indicated that having the municipality opt into coverage under the provincial legislation would extend officers’ authority to seize weapons in circumstances where the Criminal Code presently limits such authority.
The new city bylaw does differ from the provincial legislation in one respect. The provincial law stipulates that knives 30 centimeters or longer are classified as street weapons. The city bylaw stipulates that knife blades 10 centimeters or longer are covered under the bylaw. The provincial legislation allows municipalities to make that amendment.
Warman City Councillors had no objections to opting into coverage under the provincial law.
“I support the intent behind this bylaw,” said Councillor Tracy Johnson. “And I also support the change to the knife blade length to 10 centimeters.”
Councillor Marshall Seed said the bylaw provides police officers with more enforcement tools, but also allows them discretionary powers. “This bylaw protects the public,” he said.
Councillor Shaun Cripps said while the provincial legislation and the municipal bylaw are positive, federal legislation also needs to be beefed up.
“We need to put pressure on the federal government, through SUMA (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association) to put public protection front and centre,” he said. “When somebody gets locked up for a crime, they should stay locked up and not be released on bail.”