The Moose Jaw Police Service will ask city council for a 4.67-per-cent increase in its 2022 operating budget that includes hiring three new officers to address several critical areas.
The police service (MJPS) expects to spend $12,739,939 next year, an increase of $582,223 or 4.79 per cent over this year. It also expects revenues to be $1,571,813, an increase of $83,504 or 5.61 per cent. This means its net operating budget — the amount taxpayers cover — will be $11,168,126, an increase of $498,719 or 4.67 per cent.
The police budget comprised 23.2 per cent of the City of Moose Jaw’s budget this year.
The Board of Police Commissioners unanimously approved the MJPS’s 2022 operating budget — including the three new officers — during its recent meeting and agreed to send the document to city council during its 2022 budget deliberations.
One officer will start Jan. 1, while two will start in July.
The budget proposal supports current and enhanced levels of community safety and well-being by requesting more police positions to resource four critical areas adequately, Police Chief Rick Bourassa said during the meeting. Those areas include gangs, guns and drugs; child exploitation and abuse; professional standards, quality assurance and community awareness; and safety in public spaces.
The law enforcement agency has 61 authorized police officer positions, which increased from 52 in 2013, he continued. While the organization can meet most demands, it needs more human resources to address serious crimes, child abuse, and professional standards and quality assurance.
The MJPS has the lowest rate of police officers in the province compared to six other Saskatchewan municipal police services, based on data from the Saskatchewan Police Commission, Bourassa said. Moose Jaw currently sits at 180 while Prince Albert is on top at 267 officers per capita; Moose Jaw’s number would jump to 186 with three new cops, but the municipality would still be near the bottom of the list since other agencies would also add members.
“Additional officers would not only provide focus to these priorities but would also bring the rate of officers closer to that of other cities,” he added.
“In terms of prevention, this service has been provided lots of resources … . I think you could use more, even, because we’re so reactive. We react when something’s already bad happened,” said Commissioner Mary Lee Booth. “We should try to prevent crime in the first place.”
Booth noted that since adding two extra police would increase the operating budget by 4.37 per cent while adding three would increase it by 4.67 per cent, the board should consider the latter.
The Moose Jaw Police Service is involved with other agencies in the community, region and province, while the provincial government funds six policing positions in the region, Bourassa said.
Four officers with Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan spend 65 per cent of their time outside of Moose Jaw and 35 per cent in Moose Jaw catching speeders, while two officers work with the Police and Crisis Team (PACT) in and around Moose Jaw.
Bourassa provided the board with data about crime statistics for the past few years. Of note, Moose Jaw police issued 17,760 traffic tickets in 2016, but that number increased to 32,580 tickets last year.
“We still have a problem (of speeding) on the Trans-Canada highway,” added Bourassa. “There have been no fatalities since the (speed-automated) cameras were installed, but it’s still a problem.”
The next Board of Police Commissioners meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 14.
