Saskatchewan government is spending more than $800 million toward community safety in its 2025-26 budget, with the major increase going to policing, corrections, and emergency response to help deal with crime, border security, and overcrowded jails.
The province’s spending plan allocates $679.4 million to the Ministry of Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety, $118.9 million to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), and $8.8 million to the Saskatchewan Firearms Office (SFO).
The money is to expand law enforcement resources, curb illegal firearms, and modernize emergency wildfire and flood responses.
A key focus is strengthening frontline policing.
The budget sets aside $260 million for RCMP operations, including $23.7 million for the First Nations Policing Program, which partners with indigenous communities.
An extra $330,000 will boost the Municipal Police Grant program to help officers respond faster to calls.
“This budget ensures officers have the tools and support they need to protect our communities effectively,” said Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod.
Border security is also getting a boost.
Launched in January 2025, the Saskatchewan Border Security Plan will put Provincial Protective Services officers to work alongside police and federal agencies along the US border.
The goal is to crack down on cross-border crime like drug trafficking and illegal firearms, which are both causing major issues across the province.
Premier Scott Moe said that he wants to get the “poison” off Saskatchewan streets by locking up the drug dealers and providing treatment for addicts.
Moe’s election promise to hire 100 municipal police officers gets a $6 million boost this year, part of an $11.9 million, multi-year commitment.
Another $2.7 million will add 14 staff to the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit, which targets crime-linked properties.
The Saskatchewan Police College receives $1.6 million to train recruits.
Notably, 50 new officers with the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) will hit the streets a year early, due to a $3.6 million in additional spending.
The SMS will focus on gangs, drugs, and tracking down high-risk offenders, especially those who skip their court dates.
Jail overcrowding is being addressed with $11.7 million to open an expanded Saskatoon Correctional Centre.
It will also improve capacity for women inmates and support the Elizabeth Fry Society’s work to reintegrate female offenders.
New initiatives include hiring six weigh scale officers ($666,000) to free up highway patrols for border duties, seven deputy sheriffs ($835,000) to handle prisoner transports, and a $1.1 million upgrade to the Electronic Monitoring Program for real-time tracking of high-risk offenders out on release.
The SPSA’s $118.9 million budget includes $36.7 million toward buying four new air tankers to fight wildfires.
Two planes will be dedicated fire suppressors, while two others can switch roles, such as airlifting patients, and cut emissions by 30% compared to older models.
“These investments help the SPSA protect lives and property during emergencies,” said McLeod.
The SFO’s $8.8 million includes $569,000 for a ballistics lab opening this fall in Saskatoon that will test firearms evidence to speed up criminal investigations.
“Illegal guns fuel violence,” said McLeod.
“This lab will help police take dangerous weapons off our streets.”
The spending aims to ease pressures across the justice system.
More police and jail space should reduce court delays, while electronic monitoring could lower jail populations.
SCAN’s expansion targets problem properties that drain police resources.
With the Saskatchewan Marshals set to launch early and border teams mobilizing, the government says it’s tackling safety “from all angles.”
“Every dollar spent here is about keeping families safe and holding offenders accountable,” said McLeod.