It was announced in the Throne speech but now the government is providing more details regarding the new Saskatchewan Marshals Service. The SMS will consist of approximately 70 officers. Their duties will include responding to areas with high crime rates, apprehending offenders with outstanding arrest warrants and investigating farming-related offenses like theft and trespassing.

Government will establish the Service as an independent agency reporting to the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety. The SMS is expected to be operational by mid-to-late 2026, at an annual cost of approximately $20 million. The RCMP will remain the provincial police service of jurisdiction, but the Marshals Service will have police authority throughout the province, and support RCMP and municipal police operations where appropriate.

The Government of Saskatchewan will also be providing approximately $1.6 million annually to implement an expansion to Warrant Enforcement and Suppression in Prince Albert. The unit will consist of eight RCMP officers, one analyst and one administrative support position. The new team is expected to be operational in late fiscal year 2023-24. The first WEST units began operations in Saskatoon and Meadow Lake in April of this year. The unit targets high-profile offenders who represent a significant threat to public safety, such as gang members and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.

A new Crime Reduction Team unit will be established in the Battlefords region, and will consist of eight officers, one analyst and one administrative support position. Government will provide approximately $1.6 million annually to fund the unit, which is expected to be operational in the same time frame as WEST unit in Prince Alber. The CRT’s mandate is to target street gangs and prolific offenders and respond to urban and rural crime surges. This expansion increases the total number of CRT units in the province from nine to 10.