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Published:April 3, 2022
-Western Standard
A new provincial police force, which was announced in the 2022-23 provincial budget, began work on Friday.
The new police force does not replace the RCMP or city police forces but does have the same powers. It is part of the Saskatchewan Growth Plan to build safer communities.
The 450 member force is called the Provincial Protective Services (PPS) Branch and comes with a $54 million budget.
ThePPS combines “conservation, highway patrol, Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Officers, prisoner transport and court security deputy sheriffs, and Wascana Park community safety officers under a single organizational structure,” said a government press release.
“A tremendous amount of work has gone into unifying these separate agencies into a single organization over the last six months,” said Christine Tell, Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.
“The transition to the PPS Branch is a major step forward in our ongoing work to ensure the safety and security of Saskatchewan communities and people.”
PPS works alongside the existing forces. Its officers can arrest suspected criminals, and impaired drivers. Most PPS officers are armed.
“There may be scenarios where these agencies can support police services but not meant to be a replacement for police services,” said Noel Busse, with Provincial Protective Services to CTV News.
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