Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore does not see the value in creating the new Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS), a provincial police service to assist the RCMP.. Rhonda Blackmore Sask RCMP .Blackmore questions the purpose of the SMS — why not increase the RCMP funding instead of a new police service?.“Our one question is ‘What's the focus of putting new equipment on the street with a new police service and why is there an advantage to that as opposed to giving those resources to the RCMP?’” said Blackmore on a rural crime panel at a Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) Convention..Blackmore said the Sask RCMP already has the equipment, vehicles, and buildings. With an increase in funding, they could add more officers..“Why is money being put into creating a new infrastructure with a new police service when we have the infrastructure available?” said Blackmore..“We have vehicles, we have buildings, training is already in place, and equipment. All of those startup costs are significant.”.The Saskatchewan Party government committed $20 million annually to the new SMS in the throne speech..By 2026, the SMS will be fully operational with 70 full-time officers..Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said the government is consulting and getting feedback from their policing partners, First Nations, and rural municipalities..“We are very, very early on in this process,” said Tell.. Christine Tell Sask MLA .The purpose of the SMS is to deal with more “complex policing issues” that are not currently being dealt with, according to Tell..Tell said the SMS is not for “front-line policing.”.SARM President Ray Orb said anything to assist the RCMP in rural crime would be good, but they are still learning about the SMS..“The key, I think, is to be able to reduce the amount of rural crime,” said Orb..”We simply don’t want someone else to replace the RCMP, but we want to complement them.”.The SARM Board and Orb have an upcoming meeting with Tell to learn more about the SMS..The SMS will have “police authority” around the province and its primary duties are apprehending offenders with outstanding warrants, investigating farm-related crimes, and adding additional policing to high crime rate areas..Tell said the SMS “supports RCMP operations where appropriate.”.In 2022, the provincial government is spending $211 million on the RCMP.. Ray Orb SARM President .The province pays 70% of the operating costs of the RCMP, with the federal government paying the remaining 30%..In the last few years, Blackmore said violent crime increased by 25% and rural property crime increased, but by a small amount..“We’ve had a report of 61 thefts of fuel this year from fuel tanks and from jerry cans and additional 12 thefts from actual farm equipment,” said Blackmore. .“So a significant number and we’re seeing those on the rise.”.Blackmore said policing a province the size of Saskatchewan is complex..“You can’t put a police officer on every corner,” said Blackmore..“But at the end of the day, the geography is simply one of the challenges that’s not going to change.”.The RCMP asked the Saskatchewan government for more funding earlier this year..Blackmore said increased funding would add more administrative staff so front-line officers could spend more time on the street..“[The funding would] put police officers back on the street doing the work that they should be doing,” said Blackmore.
