CANADA, December 5 - Released on December 4, 2024

The Government of Saskatchewan has announced legislative amendments to The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) Act to address challenges posed by abandoned properties that create a public nuisance and contribute to unsafe living conditions that negatively impact the health, safety and economic wellbeing of area residents.

These amendments provide provincial SCAN officers the legal authority to identify and target nuisance properties in communities, while still following their current mandate of responding to public complaints about buildings involved in illegal activities.

Under the new amendments, SCAN will be able to:

• Submit court applications for rehabilitation or forfeiture orders to address nuisance properties.
• Address graffiti and trafficking of stolen property through the community safety order process.

“We know from talking to police and community leaders the negative impact nuisance properties can have on otherwise flourishing neighbourhoods,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod said. “Allowing SCAN officers to actively respond to nuisance or dilapidated properties, rather than waiting for a complaint to be submitted, will address immediate safety concerns and enable SCAN to assist municipalities in creating safe, thriving communities across Saskatchewan.”

Addressing these properties will help target nuisance behaviours such as vandalism, unauthorized occupation, drug use and other illegal activities in neighbourhoods, contributing to a safer environment for area residents.

To support the effective implementation of these amendments, government will invest $2.7 million in 2025-26 to hire additional SCAN personnel. These personnel will work alongside the existing teams in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert, focusing on addressing nuisance properties in communities across the province.

This is another step in the Government of Saskatchewan's approach to ensuring safe communities. Recently, government announced $11.9 million for 100 new municipal police officers and $2.5 million for the Saskatchewan Police College to provide an effective means to reduce crime in our neighbourhoods and help ensure the safety of residents.

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