Daily Herald Staff
As Saskatchewan’s largest RCMP detachment, Battlefords RCMP provide 24-hour policing to more than 25,000 residents. From the City of North Battleford and Town of Battleford to five First Nations communities, officers deliver both municipal and rural policing with support from specialized units and Saskatchewan RCMP resources.
“We’re getting out and getting engaged with the community, but we’re also getting back to core policing and making sure we stick to what we’re best at, which is policing and enforcement,” says Inspector Ryan How, Battlefords RCMP Detachment Commander. “When residents see Battlefords RCMP officers in the community, they can know that we’re working to effectively police the Battlefords region.”
Answering your calls
Battlefords RCMP responded to more than 20,000 calls for service last year. Additionally, the duties police officers take on go beyond the initial response. Every day, Battlefords RCMP officers may be completing additional training, carrying out court and prisoner transport duties, providing public safety education at schools and community events, and investigating ongoing files.
“RCMP officers in the Battlefords face a wide variety of calls. They know they’re going to be busy every time they get to work, and it’s something new every day,” says Inspector How. “From serious criminal investigations to community engagement, our officers are constantly adapting to meet the needs of the people we serve.”
The Officer added that Police officers do not just see their jobs as just work but “we live in the Battlefords area, too. Police officers genuinely care about the communities they serve and the safety and well-being of people who live here. It’s not just a job, it’s a commitment to making sure our neighbours feel safe and supported.”
Corporal Justin Blacklock at the Battlefords RCMP Cram the Cruiser event
Part of your community
In 2025, Battlefords RCMP officers formally participated in more than 60 community events and increased their presence in downtown North Battleford.
Partnering with the City of North Battleford, social agencies and local businesses, officers worked to create a healthier and safer environment by completing more that 600 foot patrols in the downtown core.
“While patrolling downtown, officers regularly meet residents facing mental health and addictions challenges. We know enforcement alone isn’t the answer here, arresting and charging is not going to be the solution to this,” says Inspector How.
“With a compassionate lens, RCMP officers patrolling downtown work to make sure the people who want help are getting access to the services they need.”
Community engagement remained a priority throughout the year. From teddy bear clinics to bike rodeos, to school presentations and pow wows, officers worked hard to strengthen connections with residents of all ages in 2025. In December, officers also organized a “Cram the Cruiser” food drive that collected more that 4,200 lbs of food and $3,500 in cash donations for the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre.
“We’re proud of the progress we made in 2025, and we’re committed to building on that momentum this year,” says Inspector How. “Strong partnerships and connections make safer communities possible.”
Strengthening collaboration with First Nations partners
Battlefords RCMP First Nations Community Policing Services have continued to build key partnerships with local First Nations, and these relationships have produced results that contribute to public safety in the area.
“The communities we work in each have their own unique policing needs, and our role is to listen, learn, and collaborate in ways that respect those differences,” says Inspector How. “Ongoing consultation is key to building approaches that work for each community.”
In Oct. 2025, Sweetgrass First Nation Security Team played a crucial role in the arrest of wanted person. After being informed of the warrants by Battlefords RCMP, security officers saw the individual entering a residence, confirmed their identity, and immediately notified Battlefords RCMP.
Working alongside police, security officers maintained surveillance of the suspect and set up roadblocks, allowing officers to focus on containing the scene until the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Critical Incident Response Team arrived and arrested the wanted person.
“This arrest is a clear example of what we can do when we work together,” says Inspector How. “Quick action and strong communication played a major role in taking a wanted person out of the community. This shows just how important these relationships are to protecting people and creating safer environments.”
Inspector Ryan How at Battlefords RCMP Detachment
Combatting property crime
Battlefords RCMP launched targeted property crime prevention night patrols in September 2025.
During the night, police officers on foot and on bicycles – in uniform and civilian clothes – patrolled the Town of Battleford and the City of North Battleford to target and deter property crimes.
Night patrols target several aspects of property crimes, including thefts of items in yards, break and enters and vehicle thefts.
“We know from the reports we receive that property crime is a concern in certain areas,” says Inspector How. “With these targeted night patrols, we want to respond to property crime calls rapidly and deter property crime before it’s committed.”
There was an 11 per cent decrease in property offences in the last quarter of 2025, compared to 2024 reports. Over the last five years, Battlefords RCMP has seen a 12 per cent decrease in property offences, with break and enters decreasing 21 per cent since 2023.
The Battlefords RCMP property crime prevention police night patrols were developed in collaboration with the North Battleford Municipal Community Safety Officers and Battlefords Citizens on Patrol.
Working alongside specialized units
At Battlefords RCMP Detachment, frontline officers work with specialized units, hosted by the Detachment, and draw on resources from across the Saskatchewan RCMP to respond to high-risk situations and complement everyday police work in the region.
RCMP officers with the Serious Crimes Unit (SCU), Police Dog Services (PDS), Forensic Identification Section (FIS) and Battlefords RCMP Municipal General Investigation Section (GIS) are all based in the Battlefords. These experienced officers lead complex investigations and provide frontline officers with specialized support.
Saskatchewan RCMP units from across the province, like the Critical Incident Response Program, which includes the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Major Crimes Branch, which includes the Homicide Investigation Unit (HIU) and Historical Case Unit (HCU), and Underwater Recovery Team (URT), also respond to priority incidents in the Battlefords area, providing additional tactical, investigative, and technical support when needed.
The Battlefords Crime Reduction Team-Gang Task Force (CRT-GTF) and North Battleford Crime Reduction Team (CRT), both part of Saskatchewan RCMP’s Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams (SERT), provide invaluable support to detachment efforts to decrease violent crime.
“The CRT and CRT-GTF work closely with our frontline officers to identify, target, and dismantle the networks driving violence in the Battlefords,” said Insp. How. “Their efforts in 2025 demonstrate how coordinated, proactive policing makes a real impact, and the results speak for themselves.”
In 2025, the Battlefords CRT-GTF executed 16 search warrants, seizing 612 grams of cocaine, 158 grams methamphetamine, 231 grams of fentanyl, and 246 grams of MDMA. Officers recovered nine stolen vehicles, seized 17 firearms and 21 other weapons, charged 38 individuals, and seized more than $8,600 in proceeds of crime.
In the City of North Battleford, the North Battleford CRT executed 96 warrants and seized 10 firearms, along with quantities of illegal drugs, and recovered stolen vehicles. As part of focused crime reduction strategies, the team supported frontline officers on calls and took the lead on a number of files, contributing to coordinated policing across North Battleford. In addition to their overt enforcement of gang-related activities in the city, the CRT deployed to assist surrounding detachments with crime suppression and targeted enforcement efforts.
“Residents are safer anytime dangerous drugs, illegal weapons and wanted individuals are removed from communities,” says Inspector How.
