In response to recent tragic events, the Saskatchewan Government has officially introduced legislation to authorize a Warrant Intelligence Team. 

The team will collaborate with other government agencies in order to suspend benefits and gather information on prolific violent offenders. 

Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, Christine Tell, stated in a press release earlier this month that the team will work to ensure that criminal lifestyles are not being funded by taxpayer dollars. 

"Following events in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, it is imperative that we enhance our ability to collect information on violent offenders with outstanding warrants," she said. "The Warrant Intelligence Team will work with other government agencies and police to collect this information and ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to fund criminal lifestyles and activities." 

The team will work to share information with law enforcement entities such as the RCMP, municipal police services, and the Saskatchewan Marshals Service one operational. 

The new legislation will give the Warrant Intelligence Team authorization to share information with law enforcement, such as addresses and phone numbers. 

The Act also includes safeguards to ensure that the Warrant Intelligence Team can only request limited information about offenders, and that all information obtained must be for the purpose of apprehending the offender. 

The team will work in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Services, to ensure that service suspensions don’t have a significant impact on spouses or children of offenders. 

In some instances, this may include working with the spouse to minimize impacts. 

The Warrant Intelligence Team is expected to be operational in fiscal 2023/24.