New Investments in Policing Build Upon Success

Released on April 10, 2023

Expansions to Saskatchewan’s Crime Reduction Teams (CRT) and Warrant Enforcement Suppression Teams (WEST) will build upon the ongoing successes of the past year.

In just the first two months of 2023, WEST and CRT have removed a total of 67 guns, 142 grams of meth, 2,019 grams of cocaine, and three grams of fentanyl from Saskatchewan communities. Additionally, the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT) seized 38 guns, 21.4 grams of meth, 36 grams of cocaine, and 42 grams of fentanyl while also making 20 human trafficking interventions and laying 20 criminal charges.

According to the DEA, just 42 grams of fentanyl is enough to kill 21,000 people.

“The $3.2 million government is committing annually to expand CRT and WEST represents an investment in the safety of Saskatchewan communities,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said. “We’ve recently witnessed what just one of these teams can accomplish. Earlier this month the municipal Prince Albert CRT made the biggest drug seizure in that city’s history, removing over 31,200 grams of cocaine from the community as well as guns, ammunition, and the proceeds of crime.”

As announced in the November 2022 Throne Speech, the Government of Saskatchewan will invest $1.6 million in the 2023-24 Budget to establish an additional WEST stationed in Prince Albert. This represents an expansion from one team, currently operating out of Meadow Lake and Saskatoon, to two, which will further enable WEST to respond and deploy province wide.

Government is also investing an additional $1.6 million in the 2023-24 budget to establish a new CRT in the Battlefords region, bringing the total number of CRTs operating in the province from nine to 10. There are currently already three municipal CRTs (Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon) and six RCMP CRTs (La Ronge, Prince Albert, Meadow Lake, Moose Jaw, North Battleford and Lloydminster).

“These teams have already proven their value in a very short timeframe,” Tell said. “Whether it’s apprehending violent offenders or removing drugs and guns from our communities, these teams make our province a safer place to live for everyone—and that’s something this government will continue to invest in.”

WEST was launched in April 2022 with a mandate to target high-profile offenders who are a significant threat to public safety, such as gang members and violent offenders with outstanding warrants. In January and February of 2023 alone, WEST has made 13 arrests, had 11 criminal charges laid, and seized $10,000 in cash and property. The new team is expected to be operational in late 2023-24 and will consist of eight RCMP officers, one analyst and one administrative support position.

The CRT’s mandate is to target street gangs and prolific offenders and to respond to urban and rural crime surges as needed. The new unit will consist of eight RCMP officers, one analyst and one administrative support position and is expected to be operational in late 2023-24. In addition to the recent seizures in Prince Albert mentioned above, through January and February of this year CRTs have made 88 arrests, laid 256 criminal charges, and seized over $158,000 in cash and property.

STRT is a specialized intelligence-led enforcement team mandated to investigate drug, weapon and human trafficking.

For more information on the recent drug bust in Prince Albert, see:  https://www.papolice.ca/media-release-prince-albert-crt-investigation-leads-to-largest-ever-seizure-of-cocaine/.

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