The Saskatchewan government is introducing two new policing tools to reduce reoffending by high-profile lawbreakers.
Warrant enforcement across the entire province will be the focus of the Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) and an Electronic Monitoring Global Positioning System (EM GPS) will aim to reduce reoffending and help offenders reintegrate in the community.
The province will invest $370,000 in WEST in 2021-22, and $1.6 million each subsequent fiscal year. The EM GPS initiative will receive $673,000 in 2021-22 and will have an ongoing annual cost of $1.3 million in each subsequent year.
Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell says these two initiatives represent a significant improvement to how Saskatchewan enforces warrants and monitors high-profile offenders.
“These measures combine enforcement and prevention to ensure the safety of our citizens and prevent high-profile offenders from committing additional crimes.”
WEST will be based in Saskatoon and Meadow Lake and will work with RCMP and municipal police services. The team will consist of 10 permanent positions, including eight RCMP police officer positions, one criminal analyst, and one administrative support position.
The Team will focus on high-profile offenders who have outstanding warrants for their arrest or who are in violation of conditions imposed on them by the courts.
EM GPS will allow police to monitor offenders and identify when they have violated their geographical constraints. It relies on a network of satellites that tracks and records the individual’s location and movements throughout the course of the day.