Regina plane, other cities’ policing initiatives getting funding from Sask. government

The Regina Police Service’s plan to buy a plane is getting more funding to help it get off the ground.

During City of Regina budget deliberations in December, the police service got the OK to spend $1.2 million to buy and equip the aircraft.

In a media release Tuesday, the Saskatchewan government said it was giving $300,000 to the RPS to pay for a camera system that will allow for advanced imaging, real-time video, infrared spotting and night vision.

The funding is part of more than $755,000 the government is providing to police agencies and to the Victims’ Fund from the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund.

More than $366,000 is going to three Saskatchewan police forces for new policing tools. Provincial legislation requires a matching amount be deposited from the forfeiture fund into the provincial Victims’ Fund to support victims of crime.

Oakley. (Government of Saskatchewan/Submitted)

In addition to the money for Regina’s plane, the Saskatoon Police Service is getting $37,956 for an Advance Acquisition Lab and two years of licensing to perform advanced digital forensic analysis, and the Weyburn Police Service is receiving $29,000 for the purchase and training of a canine puppy.

As well, the File Hills Board of Police Commissioners is getting $21,862 for the Law Enforcement Physical Abilities Test, which will be used to engage youths in schools and community centres by encouraging them to try the equipment.

“We are pleased to be able to take these seized proceeds of crime and put them towards a better use,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Gordon Wyant said in the release.

“This funding will be used to provide Saskatchewan police with the tools they need to keep our communities safe and to provide important resources that support victims in our province.”

The forfeiture program seeks to collect property that’s considered to be proceeds or an instrument of unlawful activity. So far, the government has distributed about $6.3 million in forfeited funds to police services, the Victims Fund and community programs.