Saskatoon police hope to curb 'troubling rise' in bear spray incidents

Between Sept. 12 and Oct. 7, police reported 18 incidents where bear spray was used as a weapon. They say it could rise to 285 by year end.

In the last month, Saskatoon police have alerted the public about 18 incidents where bear spray was the primary weapon used against another person, sometimes in a public space.

The incidents included bear spray being used inside Midtown Mall, Mount Royal Collegiate and two city buses.

Between Sept. 12 and Oct. 7, six incidents happened in the city’s downtown, four were in Pleasant Hill and two were in Fairhaven. Assaults on Idylwyld Drive, Laurier Drive and Circle Drive were part of a spree on Sept. 12 and 13, when five incidents were reported.