Released on June 23, 2014
Corrections and Policing, through the Ministry of Justice, contributed $4.6 million to the City of Regina and $4.8 million to the City of Saskatoon to continue funding for 39 police officers in Regina and 42 in Saskatoon. These officers conduct comprehensive investigations and work on a number of community-based policing initiatives to help reduce crime and victimization.“This funding allows Regina and Saskatoon to focus on crime suppression and prevention through targeted enforcement and proactive activities,” Corrections and Policing Minister Christine Tell said. “This ensures that Saskatchewan remains the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
These annual grants, continue to build on the partnership between government and provincial police leaders by aligning resources to support shared priorities, such as: the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (organized crime), the Internet Child Exploitation Unit, the Building Partnerships to Reduce Crime initiative, the Serious Habitual Offender Comprehensive Action Program, Enhanced Investigations, and the recently announced Dedicated Traffic Safety Enforcement Units in central and southeast Saskatchewan. The Saskatoon Police Service and the RCMP will be the first to pilot the Dedicated Traffic Safety Enforcement Units.
“We are pleased with the government’s continued financial commitment to targeted police initiatives,” Regina Police Service Chief Troy Hagen said. “This funding enhances our Service’s capacity to focus on areas of significant risk to our community and there is an added benefit to the rest of the province, since the investigations of units like the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit and the Internet Child Exploitation Unit extend beyond the boundaries of any single municipality.”
“This funding is vital to the Saskatoon Police Service,” Saskatoon Police Chief Clive Weighill said. “It allows us to address specialized areas of crime and public safety like Internet Child Exploitation and now Regional Traffic Safety Enforcement. These are areas of enforcement that a municipality cannot address on its own.”
In 2014-15, municipal grants were increased by $5,000 per officer to offset rising police costs. This funding is continuing government’s commitment to fund 120 new police officer positions across the province.
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For more information, contact:
Janice Wilby
Justice
Regina
Phone: 306-787-8621
Email: janice.wilby@gov.sk.ca
Elizabeth Popowich
Regina Police Service
Regina
Phone: 306-777-6364
Email: epopowich@regina.police.sk.ca
Cell: 306-535-3972
Alyson Edwards
Saskatoon Police Service
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-975-8209
Email: alyson.edwards@police.saskatoon.sk.ca
Cell: 306-221-5689