Sask. Marshals Service ahead of schedule, recruiting within province

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As the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) aims to be up and running next summer — a year ahead of its initial mid-2026 projection — the new police force is looking to recruit from in-province agencies and beyond.

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In a statement issued Friday, the SMS said it “has seen interest from all over the country, including provinces like BC, Alberta, and Manitoba and also from individuals here in Saskatchewan.”

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By the time the service is up and running, it anticipates there will be SMS officers drawn “from both inside and from outside the province.”

Opposition shadow minister for policing and public safety Nicole Sarauer said this speaks to some of the concerns raised by her party — that the money for the SMS would be better spent shoring up exigent police services in Saskatchewan.

“They are poaching from already existing police forces to fill their allotment of officers,” said Sarauer.

“If we’re just shuffling a group of police officers from one type of policing body to another type of policing body in Saskatchewan, it doesn’t actually address the concerns that people have about crime in this province.”

Regional locations for the SMS are still up in the air, as is the cost, but the provincial headquarters are already operational in Prince Albert.

The NDP estimated that “at least $14 million has been wasted on planning for the Service to date.”

Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Tim McLeod presented a different figure in an emailed statement.

“Our government has been transparent with costs,” said McLeod. “To date, $5.6 million has been spent in building the Saskatchewan Marshals Service.”

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The SMS was first announced in 2022 as a means to “enhance law enforcement presence across the province,” stated an SMS news release issued Thursday afternoon. The government previously said the marshals service will have an annual budget of $20 million once operational.

The SMS has already hired Chief Marshal Rob Cameron, Deputy Chief Marshal Rich Lowen and Civilian Deputy Chief Thomas Sierzycki, along with two superintendents and three inspectors, according to the release.

“As we continue to approach our eventual deployment in Saskatchewan, it’s important to our service that we maintain these positive relationships with other enforcement agencies,” said Cameron in the press release. “We will continue to engage with municipal and First Nations communities and other partners so we can best serve the province.”

As for a governing mandate, the SMS will focus on higher crime locations in Saskatchewan. The intention is to “detect, disrupt, and deter” criminal activity,” locate “high-risk and prolific offenders” as well as people with outstanding warrants, offer assistance to exigent police services, and conduct investigations pertaining to farming and agriculture.

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