Police asking for additional $760k in 2023 budget
The Saskatoon Police Service presented its 2023 budget to city council on Monday with a request of an additional $760,000.
With the city currently working through its first two-year budget cycle, SPS increased its original budget proposal from 2021 with three notable alterations.
Natural gas, fuel price increases and other inflationary pressures accounted for $410,000 of the additional ask while moving the alternate response unit from a pilot project to a regularly deployed unit accounts for the remaining $350,000 change in the budget proposal.
“I think the economic environment sort of dictated what we could ask for coming into the budget. There are no end of needs in our police service and certainly we would add policing staff if we could, but we tried our best to maintain the budget that we proposed in 2021,” Chief Troy Cooper said after presenting the budget to council.
Cooper said the SPS will conduct a full staffing review in the new year to see where the service’s needs can be best directed for the next two-year budget.
The proposed budget includes adding 11 full-time equivalent positions. Three of those positions will be added to the Internet Child Exploitation unit, two for the trafficking response unit and the six officers as part of the alternative response pilot program will be added as full time equivalent positions.
With no decision made on the SPS budget as of Monday evening, multiple councillors voiced plenty of support for the alternative response unit.
Launched in June 2021, the alternative response officers work with vulnerable people and help connect them to community services. The officers also assist in a variety of other ways like transporting arrested people and taking complaints from members of the public.
Cooper said it’s the unit’s ability to spend more time with community members and familiarity with the area compared to an average officer working in the downtown area.
“I think the alternative response officers filled a gap that was missing in the community, particularly as we saw some of the growing social issues,” Cooper said.
The total net funding of the SPS budget is $113,724,000, up from $112,964,000.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.