Today, the provincial government formally announcing funding for policing positions in Saskatoon. The Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety is providing $6.71 million to the City of Saskatoon through the Municipal Police Grants program. This grant will support 49 existing police positions in the community.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance is also providing $900,000 for five positions as part of the Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan initiative. This brings the total of the Saskatoon Police Service Funding Agreement to $7.61 million for 54 police positions in 2023-24.
Some of that funding will be directed to an additional PACT position which is the Police and Crisis Team that pairs police officers with mental health workers when responding to a mental health crisis. Funding also supports the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) program, which is dedicated to the investigation of online child exploitation.
In a news release Saskatoon’s Police Chief Troy Cooper says funding from the province is a critical component in community safety when it comes to gang activity, exploitation and increasing calls relating to mental health.