Police Commissioner Questions Need And Negative Impact To The MJPS
The new $20 million provincial marshall’s initiative could have some very negative impacts on the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) that is according to a member of the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners (MJBPC).
Speaking immediately after Police Chief Rick Bourassa gave his views at Wednesday morning’s monthly meeting of the MJBPC Commissioner Crystal Froese and MJBPC chair spoke about the potential negative effects of the initiative.
“It is really an offside process here that they’ve done and I don’t know where it’s going to land,” Commissioner Froese said. “What they actually going to provide to the province of Saskatchewan.”
The Commissioner said the new service was hard to see as necessary “when we are working so closely with agencies.”
COMMISSIONER CRYSTAL FROESE (right) LOOKS ON AS POLICE CHIEF RICK BOURASSA ANSWERS AN ENQUIRY
Chief Rick Bourassa spoke about how communication between police services in Saskatchewan was “unique” and “a bit of a model” for other jurisdictions due to the ease of communication between the services.
He spoke about six positions partially funded by the City and the provincial government that provide services regionally.
“We know how to work regionally. We know how to work with other police services. We know how to do that and we do it extremely well.”
Commissioner Froese said if the provincial government wanted enhanced services they should have engaged existing services and it would have “been a lot quicker.”
She went on to state the new service may well end up poaching employees from the MJPS.
“My understanding is..they are looking for experienced officers. So that means they are going to be poaching from existing services that we have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into our officers.”
Chief Rick Bourassa spoke about how communication between police services in Saskatchewan was “unique” and “a bit of a model” for other jurisdictions due to the ease of communication between the services.
He spoke about six positions funded by the provincial government that provide services regionally.
“We know how to work regionally. We know how to work with other police services.”
The Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) will have 70 officers and before the operational by 2026, according to a release.
The service will not take over the duties of the RCMP or municipal forces. It has a mandate to support them while also conducting their own investigations.