The commanding officer for the RCMP in Saskatchewan has questions about a new Marshals Service announced in the provincial Throne Speech last month.
The Saskatchewan government says the Marshall Service will work with RCMP to strengthen law enforcement across the province. Their duties would include responding to areas with high crime rates, apprehending people with outstanding warrants and investigating rural-based offenses such as theft and trespassing.
At the SARM midterm convention in Saskatoon today (Thu), Rhonda Blackmore said the additional 20 million dollars for the service could improve existing law enforcement.“Why money is being put into creating a new infrastructure, with a new police service when we have the infrastructure available. We have vehicles, we have buildings, the training is already in place and equipment and so all of those start-up costs are significant.” said Blackmore.
The Saskatchewan government says the Marshals Service will have about 70 officers, and be operational by mid-to-late 2026.
Rise in crime in rural areas
Blackmore says the number of thefts and other property crimes are rising in rural Saskatchewan.
“There was that spike back in 2016 where it got very significant levels, and it had decreased a little bit since then but we’re seeing an increase again.” she noted.
She says there have been 61 on-farm fuels thefts and another 12 directly from farm equipment this year.
Blackmore says RCMP are dealing with detachment vacancies by amalgamating schedules and recruiting new cadets. She notes there have been 103 new cadets at the Regina depot since April first. There are another 18 cadets that have been posted to Saskatchewan and are finishing their training.
The RCMP is also looking at a policing boundary review, as some of those boundaries have been around since the 1950’s.
Blackmore says adjustments might allow detachments to respond more quickly and reduce response times in some areas.
First Nations Policing
The commanding officer also wants to work with First Nations in laying the groundwork for more local policing.
Blackmore says an indigenous recruiting unit has been established to help establish a base for more First Nations policing.
“Instead of trying to create a First Nations Police Service at the ground level with no one having experience or very minimal, we can offer people who – if that happens in 3,5, 10 years from now – would have that policing experience that they can bring back to their home communities and be part of that self-administered policing.”
The RCMP assistant commissioner participated in a panel discussion on rural crime at the Rural Municipalities midterm convention in Saskatoon.
(CJWW)