Regina police getting more than $5.9M in funding from province

The Regina Police Service is getting some financial assistance from the Saskatchewan government.

In a media release Monday, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety announced it was providing $5.03 million for 40 positions through the Municipal Police Grants program.

SGI is adding $900,000 for five existing positions as part of the Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan initiative.

The money from the Municipal Police Grants program is to go toward targeted policing initiatives in Regina. Those include the Police and Crisis Team (PACT), a group of police officers and mental health workers who assist people experiencing mental health crises in the community.

The funding also will go toward the hiring of a new member of the Crime Reduction Team, which gathers information on street gangs and gang associates, and one for the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) program, which investigates child exploitation.

“Over the past year we have seen some significant trends and challenges in community safety,” Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said in the release. “This continued commitment from the provincial government is appreciated and essential in our work as a police service to enhance community safety and wellness.”

The Municipal Police Grants program funds 133 municipal police positions as well as targeted policing initiatives across Saskatchewan.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an amended version of this story, correcting the use of the funding.