Earlier this year during Town Hall meetings, a common theme among concerned residents was the number of officers policing Eston, Kerrobert and Kindersley, with many stating the area needed more. The RCMP were empathetic to the concerns but said they have been short staffed and recruiting isn’t an easy task, discussions with both the Government of Saskatchewan and the RCMP, confirmed this answer is not far off.

Funding from the government and added officers by the RCMP both have their own systems and procedures to follow to make decisions that best support the province and the individual communities.

Jennifer Graham, senior communications consultant for the Ministry of Justice, explained that police funding provided to certain areas in the province, were in result from recommendations of the Premier’s Caucus Committee on Rural Crime, of which, Kindersley, Kerrobert and Eston were not included. The disbursements that were announced in November were as follows:
• Regina - $5.76 million
• Saskatoon - $5.8 million
• Prince Albert - $2.7 million
• North Battleford - $770,000
• Meadow Lake - $770,000
• Yorkton - $330,000
• Moose Jaw - $690,000
• Weyburn - $400,000
• Estevan - $510,000

Graham added that in 2018-2019 the provincial budget for RCMP support is $176.8 million, up from $166.6 million the year previous. “In addition, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, or SARM, has partnered with the RCMP to expand the Rural Crime Watch initiative. The Ministry of Corrections and Policing also co-ordinates and promotes the Community Safety Officer program,” said Graham. She also expressed that communities can further inquire about this program by contacting Gavin Nash at 306-787-0402.

For the number of officers within the detachments, Corporal Rob King with the Saskatchewan RCMP, said there are many determining factors. Variables such as crime rate and population are all a part of a formula used to determine how many officers shall be stationed at each detachment.

During the Town Hall meetings, Staff Sargent Ray Blais sympathized with the public’s request for more officers, stating that their detachment has been short staffed for upwards of three years. After discussions with Cpl. King, he said currently the local detachment is short one officer. He added that this is is not uncommon as it is unlikely that a location will be overstaffed and that they wait for a vacancy before bringing in new officers, therefore one position can often be in flux.

Cpl. King agreed with S/Sgt. Blais in regards to it being increasingly difficult to recruit people for the RCMP. He said the field has it’s challenges and dangers and people are simply choosing other professions.