Saskatchewan Marshal Service to be operational by 2026: province

The Government of Saskatchewan has released its vision for the Saskatchewan Marshal Service (SMS), which plans to be fully operational by 2026.

“The RCMP provide general duty policing, they go into schools and participate at a community level,” Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Christine Tell said. “This team will be more than that.”

Minister Tell said the SMS will consist of 70 officers and provide additional support to the RCMP and municipal police services across the province.

“We’re not looking for recruits,” she said. “At this juncture, we’re looking for experienced police officers that may want to get involved in a different way or level than they are when they get out of recruit training.”

When fully operational, Tell said the SMS will operate with an annual budget of about $20 million. The NDP responded to the addition of a new police force, calling it costly and ineffective.

“Minister Tell admitted the SMS would compete with the RCMP and municipal police forces for new recruits, straining already under-resourced detachments,” said NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer. “This announcement amounts to little more than the reshuffling of existing resources.”

The Saskatchewan RCMP said there are still many unknowns when it comes to the new service.

“This includes working collaboratively to determine how the SMS will fit into the bigger picture of enhancing and supporting our common goal of keeping the people of Saskatchewan safe,” RCMP said in a statement.

The province said the marshals will be an independent agency, but report to the office of the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety. The NDP saw this as a concern.

“It is important policing bodies be independent from government interference,” said Sarauer. “It is troubling the Sask Party failed to take this seriously.”

“My office has indirect oversight over to the provision of police services in the province,” said Tell.

In addition, the province said they will provide an additional $1.6 million annually to both the Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) in Price Albert and create a new Crime Reduction Team (CRT) in North Battleford.

“The announced expansion will continue to enhance the work of our detachments in addressing, preventing and reducing crime across the province,” RCMP said.

The new CRT team will increase the total in the province from nine to 10.