The Issue
In 2022, the Saskatchewan Government announced plans to develop a new Saskatchewan Marshals Service. The Marshals Service will consist of approximately 70 Marshals based out of a single detachment in Prince Albert that will report to and be guided by Ministry officials until an undisclosed date that a Police Board is put in place.
It is estimated that this new service won’t be in operation until late 2026 and will cost approximately $20 million annually in operation costs. To date, in 2024, the province has already allocated $14 million in start-up costs – money allocated without any plan in place or transparency.
Spending taxpayer dollars on an unneeded police service when residents are happy with the Saskatchewan RCMP is not the answer.
The Saskatchewan Marshals Service: No plan, no consultation, and no support.
Saskatchewanians deserve to be consulted about changes to public safety in their province. But the Government did not consult with the public, municipalities, police agencies, or other public safety stakeholders before announcing plans for the Marshals Service, despite promises to consult. This is a decision that will cost all Saskatchewan taxpayers.
The Government has not released any feasibility study or plan that outlines the costs of establishing the Marshals or:
- the rationale that demonstrates good reasons for establishing the Marshals Service;
- how the Marshals Service will integrate with other police agencies;
- the hiring and training process for the Marshals and how this could impact existing police agency hiring;
- how the Marshals will impact crime rates across the province;
Public opinion surveys revealed that 2/3 of Saskatchewanians have not heard of the Province’s plan to develop a Marshal Service. The same survey revealed that three times as many individuals would prefer to see $20 million invested in RCMP services, rather than into the creation of the Marshals. Yet the Province is still moving forward with its plan.
A New Police Service Will Not Address Rising Crime in the Province
As Saskatchewan grows, the nature of crime in our communities is changing. Recent rising crime rates have led to many municipalities calling on the Province for existing police resources and investments in services that address the root causes of crime.
But instead of investing in proven solutions, the Province has chosen to spend an undisclosed amount of money to establish an unwanted new Saskatchewan Marshals Service by late 2026, without any rationale on how it will impact crime rates.
Once operational, the service is projected to cost $20 million annually, with millions more in start-up costs for 70 Marshals. This same money could instead fund ~100 new RCMP and municipal police officers each year or go towards funding social services that address the root causes of crime. These are proven and tested services and solutions.
Increased Taxes and Costs for Duplicated Services
As we have seen in other communities across the country, the cost of establishing a new law enforcement service is often much higher than originally estimated, with extra costs being covered by taxpayers. The Saskatchewan Government did not conduct a full feasibility study to review whether a new Saskatchewan Marshal Service would be the best option to improve public safety needs compared to investing in the existing SK RCMP and municipal police services– Saskatchewan residents deserve this information!
Currently, Saskatchewan benefits from the Federal Government paying 30% of provincial RCMP policing costs, or roughly $75 million of the total policing costs in the province – every year. With the Marshals, Saskatchewan residents are on the hook for 100% of the costs.
A new police service in Saskatchewan duplicates many of the existing public safety resources in the Province. Saskatchewan’s communities are already served by municipal and RCMP-provided police services which already fulfill the functions the new Saskatchewan Marshals Service is slated to do, including wildlife investigations through specialized RCMP-led teams, and warrant enforcement.
The Saskatchewan Marshal Service is estimated to cost over $20 million annually once operational in late 2026. The Province has not disclosed the additional costs to start-up this service. In 2024, the Province has already allocated $14 million in start-up costs ($7M/year) for this unnecessary police service.
A New Saskatchewan Marshals Service Increases Competition for Police Officer Recruits
Policing is a challenging career, and while RCMP recruitment is back to full strength with hundreds of cadets graduating Depot annually, a new police service will be forced to compete for the same recruit pool that other Saskatchewan police services rely on, potentially leading to gaps in existing policing services.
While Saskatchewan is a proud home to Depot, the RCMP’s world-renowned training academy, space in other training facilities is limited, and a new service will create a training backlog for municipal police agencies who are today competing for limited spots.
Investing in the RCMP: A Smarter Choice
While recent commitments to fund additional RCMP officers are welcomed, the funding the Saskatchewan Government is committing to this new, untested police service would be better spent on the proven expertise of existing police services, including the Saskatchewan RCMP. In late 2026, the Saskatchewan Marshal Service plans to have 70 Marshals operational for a cost of $20 million annually. For that same cost, the Province could fund 100 additional RCMP and municipal officers.
A recent survey shows that three times the number of Saskatchewan residents would prefer to invest $20 million annually in the Saskatchewan RCMP instead of a new Marshals Service, as they would see immediate public safety needs addressed today instead of years from now.
Further, the survey shows that over 80% of Saskatchewan residents are satisfied with the RCMP’s policing. Instead of a new service, Saskatchewanians want to see more RCMP Members in their communities. Members of the RCMP are trusted community leaders and are proud to live and work in the province.
Saskatchewan Benefits from Highly Trained and Specialized RCMP Members
We know that everyday policing calls can escalate quickly, and we need more police officers who are equipped to deal with all types of risk. RCMP Members are among the most highly trained police officers in the world. Additionally, with the provincial and local RCMP, Saskatchewanians have access to over 150 RCMP specialized services.