Saskatchewan RCMP responds to concerns over policing and rising crime

There has been some public dialogue about the RCMP’s service in Saskatchewan recently.  It’s something I need to address.

I understand communities are frustrated with violence, addictions and other social issues. We are, as well – and RCMP officers across this province work very hard every day responding to these issues, among other calls for service. We are your Provincial Police Service and we will continue to proudly support the communities where we work and live.

We have been very transparent with the calls for service we receive. As mentioned in our last annual statistics release, calls for service in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction have rose 45% over the last 10 years. Violent crime has also rose 45% over the same time period. Violent firearm offences have tripled over the last decade.

Social issues like addiction, gang involvement, and mental health have significant impacts on communities and contribute to calls for police service. We are committed to doing our part to address their root causes, but the fact of the matter is policing alone won’t solve them. The Saskatchewan RCMP is only one piece of the response. Social issues are complex and require a coordinated, multi-agency response to address them. We already – and will continue to – engage with our partners at the local, provincial and national level, and welcome any and all opportunities to discuss public safety with them.

Here’s what the Saskatchewan RCMP is doing in the communities we serve.

Frontline police officers work tirelessly, proactively reducing crime and responding to calls for service. It’s important to note that police response times to calls for service vary significantly from one area to the other and from one incident to the next. A number of factors influence response times, such as the geographical challenges that come with the vast size of many of our detachment areas, road and weather conditions, call severity, the volume and level of urgency of other calls for service we are responding to at the same time. In many of our remote, rural and northern communities, police officers aren’t just solving crime – they also may respond to fires, to medical emergencies, and to mental health crises, among others. While this is important work and we will always do what we must to keep people safe, these roles are typically taken on by other emergency and healthcare services.

Behind every frontline RCMP officer at a detachment is an extensive network of specialized units ready to help every time the need arises. These include our Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams, Critical Incident Response Team, Traffic Services, Police Dog Services, Major Crimes and so many more. They respond to communities throughout the province – no matter how remote. We are grateful for the province’s support, including investment in some of these specialized units in recent years.

I see firsthand everyday the excellent work the police officers and staff of Saskatchewan RCMP do. They are dedicated, resilient and above all, committed to maintaining public safety. Don’t forget – these are our communities, too.

I could not let this conversation about public safety continue without expressing the utmost pride and confidence I have in Saskatchewan RCMP’s police officers and staff. They are undoubtedly maintaining the safety of Saskatchewan communities.

A/Commr. Robin McNeil
Commanding Officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP