New questions about public safety in Saskatchewan have emerged in the wake of two horrific shooting incidents in Pelican Narrows and Montreal Lake Cree Nation as well as data from Statistics Canada showing severe crime rates are the highest here in all of Canada and the fastest-growing in the country.
But, according to Weger, of the 27 current-serving Saskatchewan Marshals, only two are new officers – the remaining 25 have been lateral hires from other police forces. Weger made the comments during budget estimates in the Spring Sitting.
“The whole point of the Saskatchewan Marshals was — apparently — to address policing shortages in the province,” said Nicole Sarauer, Shadow Minister for Community Safety, Justice, and Attorney General. “Poaching police officers from one police force in the province to another isn’t addressing this issue.
“Moving an officer down the highway and giving them a new hat is simply a cover up for Moe’s inability to meaningfully address crime — and it’s a plan that hands the taxpayers a much larger bill,” said Sarauer.
Currently, the provincial government only has to cover 70 per cent of each new officer recruited to the RCMP, while the federal government pays the rest, while also supporting funding for infrastructure and resources. The Marshals, however, come at full price.
“Every time Moe poaches an officer from the RCMP
he is charging the taxpayers an additional 30 per cent,” said Sarauer.
“Instead of real solutions, we see a government trying to hide their own mismanagement by shifting around already existing resources and pretending that they’ve created something new - all the while costing taxpayers more.”
Former President of the Regina Police Association, and former Sask. Party Minister of Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety, Christine Tell warned in 2023 that taking officers away from small detachments will have a damaging impact on safety in small communities, saying “We’re very aware of what the impact could be on much smaller policing services.”
The Marshal’s own Executive Director also said in 2024 that they won't be taking resources away from other police services.
“After 20 years of Scott Moe and the Sask. Party, people in Saskatchewan keep getting rising rates of crime,” Sarauer said. “It’s time for a government with a plan to tackle crime and to invest in critical supports to address the root causes of crime.
“Scott Moe and the Sask. Party have had their chance and failed. This used to be a province where you could leave your doors unlocked and feel safe walking alone in your neighbourhood — no more. Clearly, it’s time for change.”
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