News
Government of Saskatchewan announces investments in public safety

June 11, 2024, Prince Albert, Sask. – The Government of Saskatchewan has announced a further investment of $250 million in major public safety initiatives across the province through the ministries of Justice and Attorney General and Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.

The Ministry of Justice initiatives include an investment of $4.7 million in courtroom safety measures, which include new, standardized distress buttons and monitoring systems across Saskatchewan courthouses.

$2.85 million will be invested to install nine new video conferencing units in correctional centres across Saskatchewan. These units will enable the accused to appear in court remotely and connect with lawyers virtually before court appearances.

The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team will receive $990,000, an increase of 20 per cent from the previous year, to hire a team commander and expand the team’s operational capacity.

“The Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety is committed to building and protecting safer communities by investing in the Saskatchewan Marshals Service, First Nations policing services and other initiatives,” said Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman.

The Ministry of Corrections and Policing initiatives include a total of $7 million allocated to establish the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS). The SMS will provide an enhanced law enforcement presence, supporting and assisting the RCMP, First Nations and municipal police services across the province. The Service will address gangs, rural crime, illegal weapons and drugs, and work to apprehend high-risk individuals and offenders with outstanding warrants for their arrest.

Prince Albert, Sask., has been chosen as the location for the new SMS district headquarters. Renovations are currently underway and are expected to be completed this fall. The service is expected to be operational by late 2026.

The provincial ($21.6 million) and federal ($23.4 million) governments will also invest a total of $45 million this year in the First Nations Inuit Policing Program. This funding will support the First Nations Community Safety Officer pilot project, the self-administered File Hills First Nation Police Service, and community tripartite agreements that deliver dedicated RCMP policing services to 45 First Nations in the province.

Additionally, an investment of $2.2 million is being made to support the delivery of the Electronic Monitoring Global Positioning System (EM GPS). Through a network of satellites, EM GPS allows Community Corrections staff to closely monitor clients’ locations and electronically prohibit them from visiting locations specified in their court orders.