Former gang member speaks out on rising crime among Saskatoon’s youth

Discussions about crime in Saskatchewan suggest more youth are getting involved. A former gang member turned advocate explores why young people are drawn to the lifestyle.

Discussions about crime in Saskatchewan suggest more youth are getting involved.

Desiree Laliberte, a former gang member turned advocate, has stated that turning to a life of crime is typically not a choice youth make willingly.

Laliberte is a member of SRT8 UP, an organization that provides outreach services, programming and support to people who have lived criminal street lifestyles and are seeking to make positive changes.

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Laliberte comes from a Métis community in Green Lake. She faced abuse and addiction from a very young age, enduring challenges that she says no child should go through.

“It definitely had an impact on my mental and emotional state, which then led me to look for my own family. That led me to the street life,” said Laliberte. “I was a gang-involved since I was 13.”

Laliberte, 36, says gangs are still prevalent in the community. She believes most of the issues leading to lives of crime stem from home.

“There’s a lot of pain and struggle within our Indigenous society. It’s that lineage we carry from our generational trauma or our trauma from our families,” said Laliberte.

A change she noted with gangs today is that they are recruiting more youth compared to when she was involved.