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The Saskatchewan government is making it harder for people with outstanding warrants to collect benefits.
The government on Monday said the Warrant Intelligence Team — which operates within the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety — began operations on Nov. 1.
Legislation to create the team was introduced on Dec. 1 of last year.
At the time, Christine Tell — then Saskatchewan’s minister of corrections, policing and public safety — confirmed the stabbing rampage over the Labour Day weekend that saw 11 people killed highlighted the need for more tools to track down and arrest offenders with active warrants.
According to a government release, the Warrant Intelligence Team will work with other government ministries and Crown corporations to cut off benefits to violent offenders with outstanding warrants. The team also is to share information on the wanted individuals that it hopes will help police in the offenders’ apprehension.
“Violent individuals with outstanding warrants for arrest should not be benefiting from taxpayer dollars,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman said in the release.
“The new Warrant Intelligence Team will work to ensure government benefits are not being used to perpetuate criminal lifestyles while also helping police in their efforts to apprehend those same offenders.”
The team can recommend the suspension of benefits such as Saskatchewan Income Support and the Saskatchewan Housing Benefit.
“The Ministry of Social Services will be collaborating with our partners in the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety to support the work of the Warrant Intelligence Team and take action to stop benefits to prolific violent offenders with outstanding warrants,” Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky said in the release.
“Our ministry will do this work so that families of the offender continue to have their financial needs met as they plan for a safer future.”
The government release said the team will work closely with the Ministry of Social Services to make sure that a suspension of services doesn’t have a significant impact on an offender’s dependent family members.