RCMP union calling on province to pause Sask. Marshals Service

The union representing RCMP officers is calling on the provincial government to pause funding for the Saskatchewan Marshals Service until there is “proper” consultation and a “full plan” is released.

The union representing RCMP officers is calling on the provincial government to pause funding for the Saskatchewan Marshals Service until there is “proper” consultation and a “full plan” is released.

The National Police Federation (NPF) recently wrote a letter to the Saskatoon city council asking it to join nearly 100 municipalities and agencies in urging the province to reconsider the marshal service.

“Let’s pause this and see if we actually made the right decision to go forward with,” said Brian Sauvé, NPF president and CEO.

The marshal service was announced during the Throne Speech in 2022. The province said the goal is to work with RCMP and municipal police forces to enhance law enforcement across Saskatchewan.

The province has earmarked about $14 million for establishing the marshal service, with hopes of having it operational by 2026. Once it’s up and running it will receive an annual budget of $20 million.

Sauvé said he understands how the provincial government thought it was a good idea at the time because many police services struggled to recruit after the pandemic.

“We can understand how the government at the time, the minister of the day, may have chosen to make a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to try and plug a void that was in the moment,” he said in an interview with CTV News.