‘Unrealized potential’: Saskatoon police working to hire officers amid recruitment struggle

WATCH: The province is providing nearly $8 million to the Saskatoon Police Service to pay for existing officers.

The province is providing nearly $8 million to the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) to pay for dozens of existing officers, but the public is unlikely to see an impact anytime soon.

“Our government is proud to continue supporting the municipal police grants to ensure that our police services have the resources that they need to address public safety concerns facing our communities today,” Jamie Martens, the MLA for Martensville-Blairmore, said.

However, Saskatoon police have two hurdles to navigate before the full complement of officers can be realized - recruitment and backlogs.

“The way I would describe it is it’s unrealized potential as of right now,” Saskatoon police chief Cam McBride said.

The $7.8 million will support 54 positions at SPS from the Municipal Police Grants program. The positions will be spread between a number of different units and initiatives.

Funding from the program contributes to three positions with the police and crisis teams (PACT) that pairs officers with mental health professionals to respond to mental health crises; nine crime reduction team members, three members of the child sexual exploitation unit and two Saskatchewan trafficking response team positions.

• Get the latest news from Saskatoon, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

McBride couldn’t say which portion of the funding covers existing positions or which will cover new hires. The funding also doesn’t change the $158 million budget ask going to Saskatoon city council on Nov. 25 for budget deliberations.

“The minute we have the opportunity to hire; we have the budget for it,” McBride said. “We have the capacity within our organizational chart to accommodate it. And as soon as the seat opens in college, we can capitalize on it.”

McBride says backlogs at the Saskatchewan Police College are affecting hiring efforts. With rapid population growth in a number of Saskatchewan communities, police forces are all searching for more spots at the college as retirees outpace new hires.

McBride has called for more spots at the college to be allocated to Saskatoon. In the spring, SPS was hoping for 17 spots but was only given eight. However change is coming for the next group of students in 2026, and the province is hoping it will help fill the staffing voids being felt across Saskatchewan.

“We are doing that as, as quick as we can,” Martens said. “I know that sometimes it’s a snail’s pace in some regards, but we’re definitely working very hard to try to put the boots on the ground.”

With the province funding Prince Albert, Regina, North Battleford and other communities, that’s creating a competition for new hires, and McBride says recruitment has been a growing challenge with fewer people interested in a career in policing.

“We’re currently in an all-hands-on deck scenario where we need to determine how we build back the interest in policing as a career option,” McBride said. “It’s really, really hard work.”