Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck called for the scrapping of the Marshals Service, the hiring of more local police officers, and the creation of a new taskforce to go after organized crime during a stop in Prince Albert on Friday.
She also called for more investment in mental health and addiction services, and the creation of a new security rebate. Beck also said there needs to be strong collaboration to address the causes of crime.
“We need to have all hands on deck that includes First Nations government. It includes municipal governments, that includes the RCMP, that includes both getting tough on crime, and those who bring poison into our communities … and also getting tough on those root causes of crime.”
“We used to be the place where you leave your door unlocked, but now we have the worst crime rates in canada. Now we need to get tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. It’s time for a change.” said Beck.
Beck said an NDP government would make Saskatchewan safer by scraping the Marshals Service and hiring more local police officers, Investing in mental health and addictions services,going after organized crime and drug traffickers with an unexplained Wealth Taskforce. She also said they would help protect families, small businesses, and places of worship with an $2 million rebate program for security updates like alarms, doorbell cameras and motion sensor lights as top priorities.
“The Sask. Party have spent $14 million dollars so far and haven’t added a single boot on the ground into local communities,” Beck said. “This money should be directed into the frontlines today.”
Beck pledged to work with local leaders to improve public safety and to do everything in her power as Premier to fill empty public housing units and expand social supports, measures which will directly target the root causes of crime.
“This is an all-hands on deck approach to giving communities the tools and resources they need to make our streets safer and tackle those root causes of crime – like mental health, addictions, and the lack of housing,” she added.
The provincial government aims to have the Saskatchewan Marshals Service operational up 2026. The province has allocated $7 million towards developing it, plus a $20 million annual operating budget.
The province said the new service will address gangs, rural crime, illegal weapons, and drugs, while also working to arrests offenders on outstanding warrants. Beck said those things can be better accomplished by providing more funding to local police.
In June, Policing and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman said the Saskatchewan Marshals Service “will stand as an innovative, responsive and community-engaged approach to the complex modern challenges facing policing services in the province.”
