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RCMP union, Saskatchewan communities call for pause on marshals service

Aug. 8, 2024, Regina, Sask. – Saskatchewan’s plan for a new policing service offers little information for the mayor of Warman, is too vague for the mayor of Wolseley, and the reeve of the Rural Municipality of Kelvington calls it a “waste of money.”

They are among the leaders of 89 communities in the province, along with the union representing Mounties, who signed a letter this week urging Premier Scott Moe to pause the proposed Saskatchewan Marshals Service.

The letter, spearheaded by the National Police Federation, says the province should stop further investment in the plan until there’s fulsome consultation.

Concerns include oversight issues, lack of integration with existing police, and unknown costs and staffing.

“I don’t think we need a marshals service. I think it’s a total waste of money,” Maurice Patenaude, the R.M. of Kelvington in east-central Saskatchewan, said Friday. “How many millions are they going to spend to get this going? They could spend half as much money on RCMP and be ahead.”

Gerald Hill, the mayor of Wolseley, said he wants to know if municipalities will have to pay for the marshals, where the officers will work and how they’ll be any different than RCMP.

“It’s very vague, and I don’t like vague,” Hill said. “If we do that with our ratepayers, we get spanked for it.”

Gary Philipchuk, the mayor of Warman near Saskatoon, said he needs more information before the city can get behind it.

The letter says a lack of dialogue from the province has been deeply troubling, undermining the principles of democracy and community engagement.

Federation president Brian Sauvé said he’s had discussions with Policing Minister Paul Merriman about whether the marshals plan should continue, but he added there’s been no formal consultation.

The plan initially proposed that the marshals would support law enforcement, Sauvé said. “Now it almost seems like they’re becoming a distinct entity to be something else. Do we really know what hole they are there to plug, and is that a hole we need to plug with an external startup agency? Or can we do it with existing resources and proper investment?”

Sauvé said things have changed since Saskatchewan first proposed the marshals service in 2022, a year when the national force was struggling to hire recruits.

There’s now been a resurgence in interest in careers with the RCMP, he said. The province has also promised to pay for 250 additional RCMP positions if Mounties can fill them.

“I just think that maybe there’s an opportunity today to look back on what the previous minister did and say, ‘This may not be something that’s wise in 2024-25 and beyond,’” Sauvé said.

An emailed statement from the province said the marshals are an additional tool to complement RCMP and other police services, and they will address rural crime, gangs, and illegal weapons and drugs. They will also apprehend high-risk offenders with outstanding warrants.

The province said Mounties will remain the provincial police service of jurisdiction.

It added RCMP has control over hiring, which limits the province’s influence on how many recruits come into Saskatchewan. Recruitment of Mounties also continues to be a problem, it said.

“We will continue to focus our efforts on making communities safer by maintaining investments into the RCMP, supporting First Nations as they explore future policing models, and creating the SMS (Saskatchewan Marshals Service),” it said.

Saskatchewan has spent $14 million on the plan, which would have marshals start working in 2026.

The province has said the service would cost $20 million per year to operate once 70 officers are working.

The service already has social media accounts, a crest and branding for its vehicles.

The province has also hired a chief and deputy chief for the marshals and is in the process of adding more staff this summer, with training to start next year.

It has also begun renovations at its headquarters in Prince Albert, northeast of Saskatoon, and has promised to establish four or five satellite offices in other unspecified locations.

Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne said in June that having the marshals in the city is beneficial.

Randy Goulden, president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, has also said she looks forward to working with the service.

The Opposition NDP has promised to scrap the marshals and instead spend those dollars on RCMP, local police and addictions treatment should it replace the governing Saskatchewan Party in the next provincial election.

Saskatchewan residents are set to go to the polls in October.