Gov’t expects Saskatchewan Marshals Service to be operational by 2026

The Saskatchewan government provided more details Thursday about the new Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS), including that it’s expected to be up and running by mid- to late 2026.

The government said the service, which was outlined in the throne speech on Oct. 26, will comprise about 70 officers. It’s expected to cost around $20 million annually.

According to the government, the marshals will work in areas with high crime rates, arrest offenders with outstanding warrants, and investigate farming-related crimes like theft and trespassing.

“We know there are areas in Saskatchewan that need more visible, active policing,” Christine Tell — the province’s minister of corrections, policing and public safety — said in a media release. “The SMS will provide that, and work with RCMP and municipal police to strengthen law enforcement across the entire province.”

The government said the SMS will support the RCMP and municipal police forces, but noted the RCMP “will remain the provincial police service of jurisdiction.”

The province also said it will be spending around $1.6 million a year to expand the Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) in Prince Albert.

The unit will comprise eight RCMP officers, one analyst and one administrative support position, and is expected to be operational late in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

WEST units currently operate in Saskatoon and Meadow Lake. The teams go after “high-profile offenders who represent a significant threat to public safety, such as gang members and violent offenders with outstanding warrants,” the government said.

As well, a new Crime Reduction Team (CRT) will be set up in the Battlefords region — the 10th such unit in the province. It too will include eight officers, one analyst and one administrative support position.

The CRT is to target street gangs and “prolific offenders” and respond to urban and rural crime surges.

The government is to spend around $1.6 million annually on the unit, which is expected to be operational late in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

“In total, these new initiatives represent over $23 million in additional annual funding to enhance and expand law enforcement across our province,” Tell said.

“The Marshals Service and the expansions to WEST and CRT build on previous steps we have taken in recent years, such as the development of the Provincial Protective Services Branch and funding for the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team, to keep Saskatchewan people and communities safe.”