The provincial government is providing $4.5 million of funding over the next four years to two organizations to help reduce gang-based violence in Saskatchewan.

STR8 Up based in Saskatoon and Regina Treaty Indian Services will both deliver the community intervention program in hopes of providing outreach, intervention and prevention services to help people leave gangs and reintegrate into society.

Executive Director of RTSIS Erica Beaudin said this funding will help keep their operation sustainable.

“We concentrate on building the strengths and working with the daily realities of the individuals who will be accessing our agency through this program.”

Minister of Policing and Corrections Christine Tell said funding these programs is important to Saskatchewan.

“We know that the bulk of our criminal activity, drugs, etc. in the province is driven by gang activity,” Tell said. “By us partnering with our community to try and address it, get some of the people that are involved in gang like to be upstanding contributing citizens to our community, it can’t help but be better.”

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Mark Fisher said this is a province-wide issue being addressed.

“We may see differences in the levels of sophistication among the gangs in different parts of the province, in some of our smaller communities, obviously the gangs may not be as well organized or as long-standing as they are in some of our major centres,” Fisher said. “Having said that, I would say the impact is equal.”

The two organizations are expected to provide services for about 100 gang members over the four years.