Saskatoon police arrest man with meth and samurai sword

More evidence that methamphetamine is keeping the justice system in Saskatoon busy, as police charge a man with possession of the drug and a samurai sword.

It wasn't an easy bust.

• Methamphetamine tearing its way through Saskatoon streets, homes and courts

Police said that around 3:00 a.m. CST they spotted a vehicle they believed to be stolen heading eastbound on 33rd Street West near Avenue P South.

Patrol officers tried unsuccessfully to stop the vehicle, but it was found a short time later abandoned in a back alley on the city's west side.

Police said they found meth and a samurai sword inside the vehicle.

It took a police dog to track down the suspect who was hiding nearby. The man arrested had to be treated in hospital after suffering dog bites.

Now, the 30-year-old man is facing drug and weapons charges along with charges of failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, possession of stolen propertyand breaching bail conditions.

Meth related crimes are up in Saskatoon

On Thursday, CBC News published a story about the spike in meth related crime in the city.

So far in 2016, according to police, arrests for trafficking and possessing methamphetamine have almost doubled over the same time period last year.

Veteran prosecutor Frank Impey works at the provincial courthouse and deals with new arrests. As such, he's got a front row seat to the devastating impact of methamphetamine on the city.

"There are days in that court where you'll see half or two-thirds in custody that are somehow related to methamphetamine," he said.

"You will see strain on the courts, you will see strain on the remand system. As far as the custody docket system goes, people who are addicted are not good candidates for release."

On Friday, CBC News will continue its coverage of the methamphetamine crisis in Saskatoon with a story onhow the drug is impacting some of the city's most vulnerable residents.