'It’s getting worse': Rural crime top of mind at SARM convention

At the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) midterm convention, rural crime dominated discussions, with leaders addressing concerns over escalating break-ins and thefts across the province.

“There’s lots of concerns about rural crime in rural Saskatchewan, and it’s getting worse,” acting president of SARM Bill Huber said. “There’s more break-ins.”

The provincial government is working to implement its new Saskatchewan Marshals Service, a law enforcement initiative aimed at addressing crime in rural areas. While SARM supports the additional resources, Huber emphasized the importance of integrating the service with existing RCMP efforts.

“Try and station some of those folks in the north of the province,” he said. “Then that might free up a few RCMP officers to fill up the void in southern Saskatchewan.”

However, Tim Brodt, chairperson of the Saskatchewan Rural Crime Watch Association, expressed skepticism about the Marshal program, suggesting the funds could be better spent on bolstering RCMP resources.

“Why are you reinventing the wheel?” Brodt questioned. “Instead of that $20 million yearly budget for this Marshal Service, why wouldn’t they put this into the RCMP and get boots on the ground there?”

Huber also underscored the need for bail reform at the federal level to keep repeat offenders off the streets.

“As soon as we get some changes to the bail reform, where some of these people who are repeat offenders are apprehended and kept in custody for a number of years to serve their sentences, and hopefully be rehabilitated before they’re released again,” he said.

In a statement to CTV News, the Saskatchewan government said that recruitment for the Marshals Service is underway.

“The SMS is expected to be operational by mid-2025, with the training of officers and staff expected to begin early 2025. This is significantly ahead of the previously anticipated operational date of 2026,” they said.