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The Saskatchewan government vowed Thursday to increase the aboriginal presence in its police and court systems and attempt to address the underlying causes of crime in a $48-million effort to respond to calls for justice reforms in the province.

"Our action plan brings together initiatives that will help us achieve our vision of a province where all children grow up in healthy, safe and secure communities," provincial Justice Minister Frank Quennell said.

Thursday's announcement marks the province's response to the more than 100 recommendations delivered by the First Nations justice reform commission in June, 2004.

That report resulted from a $2.8-million probe into the provincial justice system that found anti-native racism in the police system, contributing to an environment of mistrust.

The investigation - which involved five commissioners travelling across the province - was launched in late 2001 in the wake of international outrage over so-called "starlight tours" in which police allegedly abandoned native men on the outskirts of Saskatoon in freezing weather.

Under Thursday's plan, the province said it would increase the involvement of aboriginal people in the justice system, intensify the use of alternatives to court and incarceration and work to head off some of the underlying issues that can ultimately lead to criminal activity.

Specifically, the government said it would add 49 new police positions over the next three years, with a focus on recruiting aboriginal officers. Of those, 18 new police positions will be added in the current fiscal year.

A key recommendation calling for the creation of a new independent police public complaints commission was also endorsed by the province. The commission will be created this year.

The provincial government, however, won't appoint a person to make sure the recommendations are enacted, saying it doesn't want to add to the bureaucracy.

"The government would rather spend its resources on implementing recommendations such as the police complaints commission and the additional resources that requires rather than adding another office to the Justice Department," Mr. Quennell told reporters.

As well, it said it will establish an aboriginal provincial court party with a full-time translator to travel to communities in the northwest part of the province. Cree- and Dene-speaking justices of the peace will also be appointed in two northern communities.

The province also said it would set up a domestic-violence court in Saskatoon and expand victim-services programs to serve the Stony Rapids and Black Lake communities.

In dealing with the causes of crime, the province said it would increase public education to encourage racial harmony, launch projects to provide aboriginal youth with leadership training and ensure that provincial alcohol and drug programs target youth, aboriginal people, street people and residents of northern communities.

Efforts will also be made to combat the use of crystal meth, often cited as a growing problem in Canada's western provinces.

With a file from Broadcast News

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