At a news conference in Regina Tuesday Premier Scott Moe said his government is redeploying 16 provincial law enforcement officers to patrol high-priority areas around the border. The provincial government says it is also prepared to mobilize up to 95 total officers to address emerging incidents if needed. The officers will be culled from conservation, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol and canine-handler teams to regularly conduct patrols and public safety campaigns near the border.

There will be one mobile command unit for conducting commercial vehicle inspections, up to 16 patrol cars equipped with licence plate readers, and specialty equipment, such as drones, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and three planes for conducting surveillance activities.

Their intent is that the plan allows the government to have Provincial Protective Services (PPS) officers work in partnership with provincial policing services and federal agencies to boost law enforcement’s presence near the border. However PPS officers will not have federal border enforcement responsibilities – that will still lie with Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP. The government says PPS officers will only patrol within interprovincial borders and areas north of the Saskatchewan-US border.

Moe says his government is also exploring the possibility of creating a Border Integrity and Intervention Team within the Saskatchewan Marshals Service.