Full transparency needed on Marshals spending to address concerns of wasting public dollars: Sarauer
REGINA – As concerns continue to swirl about public safety, the Saskatchewan NDP is demanding funding for more boots on the ground, not more bureaucracy, in next week’s provincial budget.
Earlier this week, Sask. NDP Justice Shadow Minister Nicole Sarauer wrote a letter to Minister Tim McLeod demanding public accountability on how the much-criticized Sask. Party Marshals Service is being stood up. This came in response to concerns from several communities that the Marshals, touted by the Sask. Party as their key initiative to improve public safety, is merely poaching RCMP and municipal police officers already working in Saskatchewan communities.
“We’ve long raised concerns that the Marshals Service will just add an extra layer of costly bureaucracy and not actually put more police in Saskatchewan communities,” Sarauer said. “What we hear from constituents right across this province every day is we need more police in communities.
“We need a government willing to get tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime — that’s how we improve public safety, now and into the future.”
In the letter, Sarauer demanded McLeod come clean on how many of the 70 Marshals currently being hired will be drawn from existing Saskatchewan police services. Both the National Police Federation, which represents RCMP officers, and nearly 100 municipalities have openly opposed the Marshals, stating that it will draw away existing policing resources from frontline officers and communities.
Sarauer also noted that there have been major concerns about how money has been wasted on setting up the Marshals, including $41,000 spent on campaign hats. As such, she is demanding a full accounting of how all money has been spent on the Marshals to date, including the cost and details of any leased or rented vehicles and equipment, as well as any purchased or contracted to be purchased, leased, or rented in the future.
“The Marshals Service has been a costly mess from the start,” Sarauer said. “I believe funding for public safety in the budget would be better invested in the RCMP and local police.”
In last year’s election campaign, the Saskatchewan NDP committed to hiring 200 additional police officers to improve public safety. The Sask. Party has made no such commitment.
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