Town of Luseland passes new ‘street weapons’ bylaw

By Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Your West Central Voice

LUSELAND – The Town of Luseland council passed a new bylaw aimed at giving its police chief a tool to handle weapons and paraphernalia that could be related to drug crime in the community. The new bylaw was passed at the Sept. 10 regular meeting of council.

Town of Luseland Mayor Kathy Wurz related in a phone call with Your West Central Voice newspaper Sept. 15 that town council passed a new bylaw under the authority of the Government of Saskatchewan’s Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act to address concerns Police Chief Ty Kohlman had about certain items showing up in the community.

Wurz noted the police chief requested the bylaw after dealing with an individual who was found with more than a dozen syringes suspected as being used for illegal drugs; during this encounter the suspect also allegedly damaged Luseland’s police vehicle enough to cause concern.

It was related to town council that although the police chief could lay a charge of illegal drug possession in this case, the police chief was told no further charges such as drug trafficking would be pursued or supported by the criminal justice system.

Mayor Wurz stated that Kohlman then approached town council with the idea to employ the Government of Saskatchewan’s Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act, which was introduced in 2025 to address issues similar to this one.

“This new legislation promotes safety in public urban spaces by regulating the possession, transportation and storage of items that may be used as street weapons, such as knives, hypodermic needles, machetes and bear spray, as well as dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl,” stated a press release from the provincial government.

“The act prohibits persons from possessing items that could be used as street weapons in public spaces, defacing or altering those items, or possessing such an item that has been defaced or altered. Persons in breach of these rules can be charged with a provincial offence and subject to a fine of not more than $5,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both a fine and imprisonment.

“The act further provides police enhanced powers to seize these items from people in public spaces where there is a threat to public safety, regardless of whether a charge is laid.”

Wurz stated that councillors discussed the fact that more and more serious illegal drugs are turning up on Luseland streets and agreed that this bylaw was one tool that could help address that.

Wurz observed the police chief can write tickets for these offences and even if unpaid the tickets remain on that person’s file.

The mayor noted that there are further consequences down the road the town can pursue for unpaid tickets if needed.

Councillors passed all readings of the new bylaw to immediately bring it into effect.