PRINCE ALBERT – During an election campaign in Prince Albert on Thursday, Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party announced more funding for law enforcement positions, adding addiction treatment spaces and increased investment in the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) Act.
“Our government recently announced new funding for 100 new municipal police officers and 14 new SCAN officers,” said Scott Moe. “We have added 192 new RCMP officers since 2011 and are fully funding 180 new RCMP positions.”
The additional funding will address community issues, including vandalism, public intoxication, loitering and nuisance properties.
Moe and the Sask Party previously added 70 new through the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SAS). With the additional officers added today, Moe said the province will have 500 new police officers to enforce laws and public safety.
“Now, we want to strengthen our laws to make sure those officers have the tools they need so everyone in Saskatchewan feels safe in their communities and neighbourhoods,” said Moe.
Officers under SCAN will also have more authority to act on certain offences. These include addressing public nuisances and shutting down properties, like an abandoned building repeatedly broken into, and having the authority to address intoxication on public property, individuals being disruptive in public or private spaces and vandalism.
Previous changes by the Sask Party for law enforcement have allowed businesses to designate police officers as representatives of their property. Officers can remove unauthorized people from the property after hours without the owner’s permission. Moose Jaw’s Police Service has recently introduced this measure.
Moe spoke about how residents of the province “deserve to feel safe in their community, their business and their neighbourhood.” He added it’s important to have spaces for those driven by drug addictions to have treatments and beds available when people need help.
Moe also said the NDP approach to police enforcement “would bring forth weaker laws” and provide more drugs.