SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — The head of the Saskatchewan Marshals Service says agricultural crime will be a focus for the new force.
Chief marshal Rob Cameron told the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association that the provincial government determines priorities for the SMS. It will collaborate with existing police services to address those.
“One of the things that we are really going to focus on is gangs, illegal weapons, drugs … and agricultural crimes such as cattle theft,” he said.
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Metal theft, chemical theft and trespassing for the purposes of criminal activity are additional priorities.
Cameron said the service will provide specialized support to other law enforcement under the police force of jurisdiction. In rural areas, that is usually the RCMP.
The RCMP’s response to the announcement of the SMS was “lukewarm at best,” Cameron said.
The RCMP had asked for additional funding, but the province announced $20 million per year to establish the new agency, in addition to smaller funding announcements for the existing service.
Since then, Cameron said, the relationship has improved.
The marshals will be headquartered in Prince Albert and work has begun to determine the locations for field offices.
“There’s quite an elaborate process to that, looking at data from crime severity indexes, crime trends, calls for service with other police services … that will point out where we should be putting these offices as we expand throughout the province,” he said.
The province is fully funding the service; there is no additional cost to rural municipalities or communities.
“It’s not a replacement for any police force of jurisdiction,” Cameron said. “We’re not designed to replace that. We’re designed to augment and enhance that.”
The benefits will be enhanced policing presence and capacity, more boots on the ground and more ability to take criminals off the streets, he said.
In addition to 70 officers, the service will include about 30 support staff in areas such as records management, procurement and logistics. He recently announced the hiring of a deputy marshal and experienced officers are sought to fill the first tranche of positions.
Both experienced officers and new recruits will take a 10-week marshals’ training program.
Cameron later told reporters the key to success will be collaboration with the other forces.
“Generally speaking, we’ve been having really good reception,” he said. “My experience in policing is you live and die on your relationship.”
He said the police force of jurisdiction will always have primary control of a scene or investigation. If the SMS has an independent investigation underway, it will let the other services know, he added.
Some people have wondered where the SMS will find enough officers to fill its positions and whether the government is positioning itself to take over provincial policing when the RCMP contract expires in 2032. The government has said it is not planning a provincial force.
The SMS is expected to be operational in 2026.
