The Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections and Policing will be giving $1.6 million to the RCMP to permanently fund and expand the Crime Reduction Team (CRT).
The money will be used to fund 14 full-time team members made up of 10 police officers and four support staff. The funding will be provided through the Provincial Policing Services Agreement, which makes up 70 per cent of all RCMP positions in Saskatchewan.
These new staff will make up two permanent CRTs in Prince Albert and North Battleford, to be established this fall.
These new CRTs will conduct targeted enforcements based on intelligence, analysis of crime trends and consultations with community leaders. They will work in partnership with other RCMP detachments and municipal law enforcement agencies.
The team will also work with communities and other agencies to develop solutions to ensure community safety and address root causes of crime.
The CRT initiative started as a pilot program in February. Since it was established, it has executed 193 arrest warrants covering 384 Criminal Code Charges, along with charges against 26 known gang members and affiliates.
