Saskatchewan Marshals Service
| Saskatchewan Marshals Service | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | March 2025 |
| Annual budget | $20 million (planned) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Saskatchewan |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Prince Albert, Saskatchewan |
| Sworn members | 10 |
| Elected officer responsible |
|
| Agency executive |
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| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) is a police agency with jurisdiction in the province of Saskatchewan. The agency's first officers were sworn in in March of 2025 and started their jobs the following May.[1][2] It is expected to have 70 active duty officers by 2026.[3] Current plans suggest that it will be fully operational by late 2025,[4] despite previous expectations being that it would not launch until 2026.[1] The agency will reportedly focus its enforcement efforts on serious crime, such as drug and gang activity.[5]
Organisation
[edit]In May 2025, it was announced that the agency's first regional headquarters will be established in the North Battleford region. The headquarters will open in the fall of 2025 and serve as a base to eleven sworn officers, in addition to civilian support staff.[6]
Recruitment
[edit]As of June 2025, the Marshals Service was recruiting individuals without prior policing experience, as well as experienced officers. New recruits must fulfil several entry requirements, such as being either a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, completion of a physical test, and completion of at least a Grade 12 education. New recruits will undergo basic training and field training with a total duration of 25 weeks. The entry-level salary for a recruit with no prior policing experience is roughly $96,000.[7]
Experienced officers can forgo the basic and field training and complete a fast-track programme, provided that they graduated from a police training programme that is recognized by the Saskatchewan Police Commission, and that they were employed as a police officer within the last three years.[8] For experienced officers, the training programme takes seven weeks to complete and consists of in-service training, mandatory qualifications, as well as online coursework. The training focuses on firearms, tactical emergency casualty care, high risk vehicle stops and education on Indigenous culture.[9]
Controversies
[edit]In August 2024, the National Police Federation launched a call to action urging the Government of Saskatchewan to pause funding for the Marshals Service. They claimed that the creation of the new agency would cost $14 million in start-up costs and that the government had failed to engage with its constituents before deciding to go ahead with the creation.[10] Going forward, the National Police Federation estimates that the annual operation costs of the Marshals Service will be approximately $20 million.[11]
During the 2024 Saskatchewan general election campaign, Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leader Carla Beck promised to redirect funds from the newly created Marshals Service, instead using the money to hire 100 RCMP members and 100 municipal police officers.[12][13] The NDP claimed that the government had spent more than $40,000 for less than 100 campaign hats, meaning that the cost per hat was $587.[12]
In March of 2025, the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party's house leader Nicole Sarauer expressed concern that new Marshals Service recruits had been "poached" from the RCMP. However, none of the service's first ten sworn officers had previously served with the RCMP.[9]
In April of 2025, before the service began its operations, an officer of the Marshals Service was put on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Public Complaints Commission. It was reported that no further details on the complaint would be released while the investigation is still ongoing.[14][15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Warren, Jeremy. "First class of Sask. marshals recruits sworn in, start job May 5". CBC. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Saskatchewan Marshals Services hires first 10 officers, training to begin". Global News. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Sask. Marshals first regional headquarters to open in North Battleford this fall". Battlefords Now. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Contact us". Saskatchewan Marshals Service. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Langager, Brody. "What to expect from new police force, as Sask. marshals prepare to get sworn in". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Saskatchewan Marshals Service Establishes New Regional HQ". Saskatchewan Marshals Service. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Pay and benefits". Saskatchewan Marshals Service. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ "Become a marshal". Saskatchewan Marshals Service. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b Cairns, John. "None of ten Marshals' recruits are former RCMP". SaskToday. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ "Saskatchewan Municipalities Urge Pause on Marshals Service Funding". National Police Federation. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "The Issue". Our SK RCMP. National Police Federation. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b Mantika, Wayne. "Sask. Marshals Service hats cost too much money, NDP says". Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Simes, Jeremy. "Sask. NDP promise to hire 200 police officers, redirect money from marshals service". CBC News. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Quon, Alexander. "Saskatchewan marshals employee placed on leave before service officially up and running". CBC. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Saskatchewan marshals employee put on leave before service launches". Regina Leader Post. Retrieved 26 June 2025.