Two new policing initiatives launched in Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan government is giving police in the province more tools to deal with high-risk offenders.

As was laid out in the Throne Speech, the government is launching two new policing initiatives.

The Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) will focus on warrant enforcement in the province.

The team is to be based in Saskatoon and Meadow Lake and will work with the RCMP and municipal police services. It will comprise 10 permanent positions, including eight RCMP officers, one criminal analyst and one administrative support position.

WEST will target high-profile offenders who have outstanding warrants or who are in violation of conditions imposed by the courts.

Meanwhile, the goal of the Electronic Monitoring Global Positioning System (EM GPS) is to reduce reoffending and help offenders reintegrate in the community.

The program is designed to let police monitor offenders and identify when they have violated their geographical constraints, using GPS to note the individual’s location and movements during the day.

“These two new initiatives represent a significant improvement to how Saskatchewan enforces warrants and monitors high-profile offenders,” Christine Tell, the province’s minister of corrections, policing and public safety, said in a media release.

“These measures combine enforcement and prevention to ensure the safety of our citizens and prevent high-profile offenders from committing additional crimes.”

The province is to invest $370,000 in WEST in the 2021-22 fiscal year, and $1.6 million each subsequent fiscal year. The EM GPS initiative will get $673,000 in 2021-22 and will cost $1.3 million annually in the following years.