The Government of Saskatchewan's Caucus Committee on Crime Reduction met in Swift Current yesterday afternoon.

The seven-person committee is made up of MLAs from around the province to focus on reducing crime rates in Saskatchewan.

Herb Cox, Committee Chair and MLA for The Battlefords, shares the purpose of their current 10-centre tour, with Swift Current being the eighth stop.

"It's a listening tour. We want to hear the issues that are going on in various centres, and that's why we've gone to as many centres in the province as we could, just to get a feel for what is going on," he said.

The Committee Chair explains their research into the province's current issues has been in-depth and covers both rural and urban centres.

"We've sent out letters to over 300 different organizations, municipalities, police forces, etc. We've had presentations from over 50 of them - there's been a great response," he said.

Cox says the committee had no preconceived notions heading into their meetings but noted that one area of concern did stand out across the province.

"The underlying cause of crime in the province, whether it's rural areas or urban areas, seems to be drug-related. I think that's one common thread that we're hearing,"

The Battlefords MLA explains some areas are better than anticipated, while some are what could be considered 'hot spots'.

"In some areas, the crime is not as severe as maybe what we had anticipated it might be. In other areas, there are some very serious concerns," he said.

The committee was assembled in late November of 2016. Upon assembly, Premier Brad Wall voiced his approval of the group of MLAs and gave his hopes for safety in the province.

"I look forward to receiving and acting on the committee’s recommendations. Saskatchewan must be a safe place where people feel protected from crime," he said.

The committee will present their findings and recommendations to the Minister of Justice, Cabinet and government caucus.