The Saskatchewan RCMP Crime Prevention/Crime Reduction Unit has recently confirmed the existence of a new criminal trend in Saskatchewan.

Since the beginning of the year 2020, there is a significant increase in breaking and entering, thefts, mischief, and attempted breaking and entering into Saskatchewan churches.

From January 2020 to November 2020, 64 of these incidents have occurred in 55 churches across Saskatchewan. This represents an increase of 60 percent in break-ins in churches in Saskatchewan since last year.

The majority (43) of this year’s church break-ins occurred in Central Saskatchewan. The churches in this area have seen an increase of 173 percent in break-ins since last year.

 Monica Deters, the CP/CR crime analyst who compiled and discovered the extent of the break-in increase, is categorical about what this means:

 “This increase in church break-ins is concerning enough that it creates a pattern. Even though the break-ins mostly happened in the Central District and during the summer, this new criminal trend is noticeable because these break-ins happened all year and across Saskatchewan. It is imperative that we all get involved to better secure these buildings.“

In most of these incidents, the doors of the church have been opened by force at night, after the church was closed and left vacant. Items such as money, electronics, computers, guitars, safes, freezers, and refrigerators were stolen.

Saskatchewan RCMP is asking Saskatchewanians to help make church buildings more secure. Stay alert, especially at night, and report any suspicious activity around churches to your local RCMP detachment or police service.

If you are a church caretaker, lock the doors when the church is empty, secure the objects of value of the church in a locked space, note the identifying features and serial numbers of the electronics and household items of the church and install motion-detector lights, alarms and/or security cameras around the church.