The Government of Saskatchewan is pushing ahead with a plan to improve police presence in rural Saskatchewan without spending a whole lot of money.
The plan, which was first rolled out in the summer of 2017, would see RCMP, provincial conservation and commercial vehicle officers work side-by-side. The nearest unit would be dispatched to emergency calls and would be part of a special team.
"And I believe that all Saskatchewan citizens, no matter where they live, they need to feel safe,” Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe said.
The provincial enforcement team would be comprised of 98 conservation officers, 40 commercial vehicle officers, 90 redeployed police officers and 30 new hires.
"Those are models that perhaps we haven't seen here or elsewhere in the past and I think we have to go down that road and see how it works and see if it fits our unique situation here in Saskatchewan,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Curtis Zablocki said.
Many Saskatchewan rural reeves and councilors also support new trespassing laws. That discussion was part of the recently concluded Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention.
"Anything beyond the right away of the road allowance, you're trespassing. We shouldn't have to post it,” Reeve of the R.M. of Fertile Belt Arlynn Kurtz said.
The government is considering the proposal.
"And I think what you're contemplating now is whether there should be a presumption of you can't go one somebody's property without getting permission from them first and I think that's a healthy discussion for us to have,” Minister of Justice Don Morgan said.
The government acknowledges that Saskatchewan residents need to feel safe in their homes whether residing in the city or in the country, and that fast police response times will contribute to a feeling of security.
