Fighting methamphetamine and opioid addiction in Saskatoon will require co-ordinated effort, the city's mayor said Friday — and a community safety group says those efforts need to include things like safe spaces for youth, a drug court and focused treatment options for those living with addiction.

To co-ordinate those efforts, a group called Community Safety and Well-Being Partners has been formed to address meth and opioid abuse in the city.

The group is made up of 10 partner groups, including the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the Saskatoon Police Service.

"Now is a time for leadership at all levels to work together," Mayor Charlie Clark said in a news release Friday.

The issue is pressing, the release from the mayor's office said. Between 2017 and 2019, the Saskatoon Fire Department saw responses to overdose-related incidents triple. Those responses include things like administering the anti-overdose drug naloxone.

Police Chief Troy Cooper said in 2019 alone, the service has seen a seven per cent rise in mental health-related calls, many directly related to crystal meth use.

"Enforcement is one important pillar in any drug strategy, but we require partners in prevention, treatment and harm reduction," Cooper said.

That includes working with the Safe Community Action Alliance in Saskatoon — another collaboration of 35 agencies focused on issues related to safety and well-being in the city which formed in 2017.

"We support the work being done by the Safe Community Action Alliance locally, and hope to see a regional or provincial strategy on addiction issues," Cooper said.

The Community Safety and Well-Being Partners group has met with the Safe Community Action Alliance's crystal meth working group.

That working group has prepared a report highlighting strategic actions, which is set to be released next month.

The report has been endorsed by the Community Safety and Well-Being Partners group, which committed on Friday to immediately begin work on four recommendations:

Establish a drug court in Saskatoon.

Create crystal meth- and fentanyl-specific treatment options.

Create more 24/7 safe places for youth.

Establish a more co-ordinated system of outreach services.

The government of Saskatchewan has also been working with the Community Safety and Well-Being group over the past year, Friday's news release said, and the group has also been in discussions with the federal government on community safety.