To help combat rural crime the province has created a new Protection and Response Team (PRT).

Following recommendations made by the Caucus Committee on Crime, the Justice Minister and Attorney General Gordon Wyant made the announcement Tuesday morning, which will see 258 armed officers who will have the power of arrest and detention.

According to the province, the team will be made up of:

  • 120 police officers from RCMP and municipal police services:
    • 60 police positions currently deployed to the Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) Initiative;
    • 30 new police positions; and
    • 30 re-purposed police positions currently funded by the ministry, will be integrated with,
  • 40 Ministry of Highways Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers (CVEO) with expanded powers; and
  • 98 Ministry of Environment Conservation Officers (CO).

The PRT was created not only to aid in crime related incidents across the province but also to improve response times of emergency services, enhance authority presence in rural areas, crack down on drug trafficking on Saskatchewan highways and to enforce safety on roadways.

A total of $5.9 million dollars has been invested to support the new team from SGI and the Ministry of Justice, $4.9 million coming from SGI and the rest being made up by the Ministry.