Regina police receive $4.7M in provincial funding

The Saskatchewan government has provided the Regina Police Service with a $4.7 million dollar grant.

It’s a part of the municipal police grant in the province that targets police initiatives to help keep communities safe and secure.

Regina police Chief Evan Bray said the money goes a long way.

“We talk about the fact that community safety doesn’t see boundaries, doesn’t stop at a city, doesn’t blend rural and municipal — it really is something we have to deal with as a province,” he said. “So although municipalities are charged with in terms of policing are charged with doing policing within their jurisdiction, the provincial government recognizes that there’s a lot of work we can do in partnership.”

Bray said the grant really goes along with their vision of ‘working together to keep Regina safe’.

The money will go towards 40 police officer positions in Regina, which Bray said aren’t new positions rather a continuation of current positions.

“We recognize the provincial government right now provides us funding (for) just over 70 positions within our police service, so this funding goes to continue those positions,” Bray said. “A lot of it has to do with work in terms of child exploitation, serious habitual offenders, community safety on our streets and on our highways … these aren’t necessarily brand new positions but it’s funding to ensure that we can continue the work that we’ve been doing for years.”

The City of Saskatoon also received $4.8 million as part of the grant. The grant also includes funding for three new police positions assigned to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. With one each being in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.